£4million Cannabis grow discovered

More than 5,000 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £4.3million were discovered at an industrial estate in Telford.

The grow was discovered at a unit on Haybrook Industrial Estate in Halesfield by members of the public in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

When officers arrived at the scene and entered the building they found around 5,104 cannabis plants spread across 16 rooms.

There was also further evidence at the scene of a grow that had already been cropped, and that people may have been living there. The electricity within the building had also been tampered with.

No one was discovered in the building, and no arrests have been made. An investigation into the grow has now been launched.

Detective Sergeant Ryan Forster, from Telford CID, said: “We know that cannabis farms such as this are often linked to serious and organised crime gangs, and the drugs they sell have a negative impact on our communities and can lead to other localised criminality.

“The cultivation of these crops can also lead to the harm and exploitation of vulnerable people, as well as being extremely dangerous as often electrics are tampered with, which can lead to fires.

“Shutting down this grow shows we will not tolerate criminal activity within our communities, and we will continue to crack down on them.”

The local community can help us by continuing to report any signs of criminal activity – the easiest way to do this is on our website. Any bit of information, no matter how small it may seem, could help make a big difference. You can report online under the Tell Us About section on our website.

Pic: West Mercia Police