AN enormous cannabis factory containing an estimated £1.8million worth of plants has been discovered – around 100 metres from a police station.

Officers executed a warrant at an empty property that was formerly a computer repairs store on Market Street, Earlestown, last Friday night.

Inside about 1,300 cannabis plants were recovered as well a quantity of cannabis bush.

It is believed to be one of the biggest drugs farms ever in the borough.

The professional set up, a short distance from Newton police station, had been installed throughout the two storey Victorian house, which is nearby St John’s Church.

It is believed two bags of the drug which had been “cropped” and ready to be shipped out were also seized. They had an estimated value of £100,000.

Electrical engineers were also called in to deal with the sophisticated wiring system that was powering plant growing machines.

Specialist teams from Merseyside Police worked over the weekend to dismantle the factory and remove the plants. Meanwhile, detectives have been poring over evidence in the house as they pursue the criminals behind the operation.

Detective Inspector Laura Bleasdale, from St Helens CID said: "Cannabis farms and the use of the drug blights communities and we urge anyone with any information about cannabis to call us, so we can take action, and take these drugs off our streets."

It is not the first time a cannabis farm has been located near to a local police station.

In 2007 more than 700 plants were found in a warehouse off Birchley Street, which was a short walk from the town’s College Street Police headquarters.

The Star has been asked to point out that Sound System Computers, the computer business which formerly operated from the premises, is in no way linked to the above investigation.