Published: June 17, 2009 09:20 am      

Meth lab found on Falls Street in London

By Carl Keith Greene / Staff Writer

A “strange odor” brought a police detective, the fire chief and the county’s public safety director to London’s Falls Street at about 10:30 p.m. Monday night.

Detective Jimmy Phelps said officers had noted a similar odor a few times before when driving in the area on the south end of the street. Some had even gotten out of their cruisers to try to identify the source.

This time, after being notified by an area resident of the odor, Phelps, Fire Chief Larry VanHook and safety director Zach Bryson tied the odor to a lighted shed behind a mobile home.

Phelps said the odor was similar to that produced by a working methamphetamine lab.

When the officers found the building, they knocked on the door and called for it to be opened. From inside the building, Phelps said, came the sound of items being moved around.

When the door was opened, the officers called two men outside and the owner allowed them to search the inside of the building, where officers found an alleged working lab “in the early stage of percolating meth,” Phelps said.

The men in the shed were identified as William Anderson, who was arrested, and Chad McMullin, Phelps said, adding that both men would be taken before the next Laurel County grand jury.

London officers assisting at the scene were Lt. Stewart Walker, Sgt. Travis Hurley, Rich Reynolds and Barry Mays.

Bryson was assisted in cleanup by Brandon Wagers and Steve Napier.