A MAN and woman have been arrested after a cannabis farm of 16 plants was discovered in Newton-le-Willows.

Officers investigating a burglary at house on Staplands Road, Broadgreen in November made the discovery.

The offender took car keys from the property before stealing a Nissan Juke car, which was later recovered.

At around 2.30am today, police attended a house on Mercer Street, Newton-le-Willows where a cannabis farm was found in an upstairs bedroom.

A 28-year-old man from Newton-le-Willows was arrested on suspicion of burglary and production of cannabis and a 22-year-old woman from Newton-le-Willows was arrested on suspicion of production of cannabis.

Chief Inspector Matt Drennan said: “This arrest is another example of our commitment to finding and bringing suspected burglary offenders to justice.

"I want to take this opportunity to remind people to be vigilant and report any concerns or information to police, and we will act on it.

“We are currently carrying out Operation Castle, which is a renewed effort to tackle burglary and bringing offenders to justice.

"We continue to put more patrols out, and are asking people to report anything suspicious. As well as targeting offenders, we are also supporting victims by identifying repeat victims and safeguarding them.

“Your home is your castle, hence the name of the operation, and we want the community to feel safe in their own homes. We will be working with Neighbourhood Watch schemes so get involved in your local area and help to make a difference down your street.”

Anyone with information regarding burglaries is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police CC. You can also call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at goo.gl/m8bGfy.