Shropshire childminders close down following drugs raid
A married couple have shut their thriving childminding business in Shropshire and disappeared – after cannabis was found there during a police raid.
Officers went to Footsteps Childminding, the home of Mark and Lisa Stovold, in Church Stretton, following a tip-off from a member of the public.
West Mercia Police spokesman Richard Ewels said officers recovered a 'small amount' of cannabis from the property and father-of-two Mr Stovold, 35, received a caution for possessing the class B drug.
Mrs Stovold, who ran the childminding business from the family home, said she officially shut its doors last week but denied it had anything to do with the drugs raid.
The couple have not been seen for days and neighbours said today they had no idea where they had gone.
Mr Stovold, who until recently also ran restaurant and deli Capricho in Bishop's Castle, said about 20 parents had been informed by telephone of the decision to close. He told the Shropshire Star before the couple disappeared that the childminding business had been making a £40,000 a year profit.
But a parent, who did not wish to be named, today said the decision to shut the doors had left many in the town in limbo.
She said: "It has left a lot of people with real childcare issues, myself included.
"There is now only one registered childminder in the whole of Church Stretton and I think Shropshire Council really needs to look at that and do something about it. There is not enough provision for parents."
Shropshire Council spokesman Gareth Proffitt said: "The proprietor of Footsteps Childminding has informed us that she has now decided to close down the business, and we are helping her to do so. We're also helping the families whose children attended Footsteps to find alternative childcare."
Call the council's family information service on (01743) 254400 for more help.
