A derelict property in Somerset owned by the family of former Premier Pamela Gordon is frequented by drug dealers, crack addicts and prostitutes, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

The discovery was made during a Police drugs raid in the area of Cambridge Road last Wednesday, when this newspaper was invited to cover the operation.

Officer in charge P.c. Jonathan Siddle, confirmed Police regularly received reports of marijuana and crack cocaine being consumed on the property, as well as prostitutes operating out of the site's old, dilapidated house.

While canvassing the property with a narcotics dog, Police revealed the name of the owners, as well as their anxiety over the land's proximity to a new drugs rehabilitation centre no more than 50 yards away, on the opposite side of a metal fence.

Contacted last week, Ms Gordon confirmed the property had belonged to her late father, who died in the 1950s, when it was divided up into two separate plots owned by her mother and half-sister Majorie Davis.

Mrs. Davis' plot has since been sold to lawyer Myron Simmons.

Ms Gordon said she has been aware of the problem “for some time”, having originally cleared the land a number of years ago and erected ‘No Trespassing' signs - although The Royal Gazette could find no evidence of such signs on Wednesday.

She also claimed a number of attempts to develop the land have been made, but zoning restrictions have prevented any projects getting underway.

“My mother used to rent the land to a farmer to cultivate,” she said.

“Any land which has been used as farm land cannot by law be developed and must remain as open space. I have approached various Ministers of the Environment about it, to see if a special exception can be made. Cambridge Beaches had talked about converting it into a children's playground, but they ran into the same problem as well.

If Government was willing to make an exception in this case, I would more than happily develop the land, as there is a clear threat to that community's safety at present.”

Local residents are known to be upset with the current activities taking place at the site.

“It's disgraceful,” said one local man, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

“There are all sorts of people coming and going from that land and I don't even want to imagine what sort of ignorance goes on in there. But it is kind of frightening. Most of the people who live around here are good, law-abiding citizens and want nothing to do with it all. Something has got to be done quick to stop it getting out of control.”

Meanwhile, a spokesman from the Ministry of Environment said Minister Neletha Butterfield was aware of the property and had spoken informally to Mrs. Gordon about it.

No official application to redevelop the site had yet been submitted, however, the spokesman said.

Cambridge Road and the area surrounding the Charing Cross Tavern is a well known drugs haven, with Police launching a largely unsuccessful raid there on Wednesday.

Nobody was arrested at the scene, although large numbers of ripped plastic bags containing remnants of crack had been left strewn all over the general area.

Small quantities of crack and marijuana were found stashed in a back yard adjacent to the Charing Cross Tavern while Police also uncovered a machete, a small baseball bat and a black balaclava concealed in the roadside bushes.