Cannabis farm found in Allerton following stop check of man using mobile phone at the wheel

We have arrested a man and seized a cannabis farm following a stop-check in Allerton yesterday, Sunday 16 August.

At around 5.45pm, officers sighted a man using a mobile phone while driving his car in Booker Avenue. When stopped, a smell of cannabis was identified and a small quantity of cannabis was location. The man was dealt with for using a mobile phone while driving.

Further enquiries led officers to an address on Danefield Terrace, Mather Avenue, where around 60 plants were found across three rooms, with the electricity meter having been bridged.

A 35-year-old man from Allerton was arrested on suspicion of cannabis production, drug driving and possession of cannabis and taken in for questioning. He has been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

Inspector Colin Dyer said: “This was some smart work which will have a really positive impact in the area. The growth, storage and sale of cannabis brings many risks to our communities. It is far from a victimless crime.

“Drug supply is closely linked to serious organised criminals and violence, and in removing such farms, we’re making your communities safer. As in this case, electricity being bridged also brings the real risk of fire and flood to neighbouring properties.

“Nobody wants to live and work close to a potential death trap, so if you suspect similar activities where you are, let us know and we’ll keep taking action.”

If you have any information about suspected drug production in your area, please contact @MerPolCC, 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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, 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