A CANNABIS factory has been uncovered inside flats, police have confirmed.

Police found 288 plants inside the North Road address on Saturday following reports of three men acting suspiciously at the rear of properties.

The property on North Road, which consisted of three flats, contained 288 cannabis plants together with associated growing equipment.

The plants have now been removed from the property and an investigation is currently ongoing, say officers.

Some of the signs that cannabis is being grown are:

• Strange smells and sounds

• Frequent/varied visitors to a property, often at unusual times

• Gardening equipment being taken into a property, such as plant pots, fertiliser, 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 information is asked to contact Merseyside Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.