Woman arrested and nearly 600 cannabis plants seized in St Helens

We have arrested a woman and seized nearly 600 cannabis plants following a warrant in St Helens on Tuesday 12 November.
 
Officers attended the address on Bold Road following reports of a strong smell of cannabis at the location, believed to be a business address.

596 cannabis plants and equipment were seized by our specialist Cannabis Dismantling Team (CDT), and the property was made safe.
 
A 40-year-old woman from Rainhill was arrested on suspicion of Production of cannabis and taken to a police station for questioning. She has been conditionally bailed as enquiries continue.

 
Matt Brown leads the CDT. He said: "This is a large-scale cannabis farm with the potential to spread harm across St Helens and beyond. Such premises bring the risk of fire, flood and violent crime to those who are unfortunate enough to live or work close by.

"Information from those communities who notice suspicious signs can be vital in making such locations safe, so familiarise yourselves with them and come forward when you come across one:
 
A video in which Matt 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.