Man arrested after cannabis farm recovered in Halewood

A man was arrested after a cannabis farm was recovered from a property in Knowsley.

At around 2.55pm on Monday 4 July, officers attended a property in Halewood and discovered nearly 350 cannabis plants in various stages of growth in two rooms along with growing equipment.

The 39-year-old man from Halewood was arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and abstracting electricity without authority. He has been released under investigation.

Scottish Power attended and made the electrics safe.

The premises was made safe by our Cannabis Dismantling Team and our enquiries are ongoing.

Matt Brown, who leads the Cannabis Dismantling Team (CDT), said: “This was a significant hoard of cannabis in various stages of growth seized by our officers which will make neighbouring properties and the local community a safer place to live.

“The dangers posed by cannabis farms and extracting electricity illegally in this manner poses a serious dangerous risk of fire and flooding to residents living nearby, especially when criminals tinker with the wiring and overload plugs.

“If you spot any signs that cannabis is being grown near where you live and work please let us know so that we can continue to take action. Any information helps residents and the work we do, so make us aware and we will investigate.”

A video in which Matt Brown, head of our Cannabis Dismantling Team explains how you can spot signs of cannabis being grown near where you live can be found here - https://youtu.be/rc59i2dsZHM

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 suspicious

Anyone with information on suspected drug production or criminal activity in their community can contact @MerPolCC, call 101 or come forward anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.