A CANNABIS farm with an annual yield of £172,000 was discovered as police raided a property on Thursday (February 8).

Officers made three arrests after executing a warrant at an address on Carnegie Crescent in Sutton where they discovered 43 cannabis plants.

Shortly after 1pm, police entered the property and located the plants with a potential annual yield of £172,000.

Utility services attended to make the property safe along with the force's Cannabis Dismantling Team, who seized all the plants and growing equipment.

St Helens Star:

Cannabis plants found by police

A 22-year-old man from St Helens, a 20-year-old woman from St Helens and a 33-year-old man from Runcorn were all arrested on suspicion of cannabis production.

All three have since been released under investigation.

Sergeant Gary Sorrell from the specialist Cannabis Dismantling Team said: "The dismantling of any cannabis farm is a positive step as they bring with them many associated risks.

"Cultivating cannabis, overloading the electricity sockets in the process and mixing with water is dangerous and can cause a fire.

“Living close to one of these farms means you are potentially in danger from the fires that they can cause, so report any of the signs and help us remove any such hazards from your street.

"Cannabis cultivation by criminal gangs can cause serious harm in our communities and we know that criminal groups involved in the cultivation of cannabis are usually involved in other serious organised crime, bringing fear and harm to those around them.

"We would ask that if you believe someone is using a property as a cannabis farm, please tell us so we can take positive action and find those responsible for setting them up."

St Helens Star:

Cannabis plants at the property

Following the find, police have issued advice on detecting cannabis farms.

Some of the signs that cannabis is being grown are:

  • Strange smells and sounds.
  • Frequent and varied visitors to a property, often at unusual times.
  • Gardening equipment being taken into a property, such as plant pots, fertilizer, fans and industrial lighting.
  • Windows are sealed and covered or the curtains are permanently closed.
  • Heat from an adjoining property
  • Birds gathering on a roof in cold weather.

Individually these activities may seem commonplace, however, together may indicate something more sinister.

Anyone with any information can call police on 101 quoting reference 0517314712, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. Information can also be provided via their online form: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information-online.