The number of cannabis cafes, where small amounts of cannabis can be bought for personal use, has gone down 23% since 1999, according to new government figures.



In 1999 there were 846 so-called coffee shops in the Netherlands, but by the end of last year this had gone down to 653.

The remaining coffee shops are located in 104 of the 418 Dutch local authority areas.

The researchers say the cafes have closed mainly because of tougher licensing rules brought in to stop people with criminal connections running them.