Community benefits following cannabis farm in Warrington town centre
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Thousands of pounds worth of compost recovered from a Cannabis farm in Warrington town centre is set to be donated to the local community.
At around 11am on Tuesday 2 April, officers discovered a large cannabis farm in a former business premises on Bridge Street, Warrington.
The building contained approximately 369 large cannabis plants.
The discovery forms part of a wider investigation and enquiries are ongoing.
Following the discovery, officers dismantled the farm and all of the drugs were sent for destruction.
However, the team were left with more than six thousands of pounds worth of compost and fertiliser.
Rather than let the compost and fertiliser go to waste, officers worked with local key partners to donate the soil to Warrington Borough Council. It will now be used in order to benefit the local community.
The soil will now be used in green spaces across the borough, including cemeteries and schools.
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Superintendent Adam Ross, Warrington Borough Policing Commander, said: “We know the long-term damage that illegal drugs can have on our community, so it is great to see something positive come out on this occasion.
“Thanks to information received from members of the public and some excellent detective work, we have been able to remove a significant quantity of cannabis destined for the streets of Warrington.
“The building contained a large number of cannabis plants and a sophisticated set up of venting systems and electricity use to maximise the amount of class B drugs being cultivated.
“This has been a real team effort, with a great collaboration between the police and our partners at Warrington Borough Council, as well as the community helping us to gather the intelligence.
“The seizure is a great result and shows how information from members of the public is vital in the fight against drug related crime.
“We want people in Warrington to feel safe in their communities and we are committed to doing all we can to put a stop to this sort of activity and improve the area.”
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Following the discovery officers are urging residents and landlords to remain vigilant and to continue to report any suspicions of illegal drug-related activity to the police.
There are a number of signs that could indicate that a property is being used as a cannabis farm, including:
- A strong and sickly-sweet smell
- Equipment to grow cannabis being taken into a property, such as lighting and ventilation equipment
- Constantly covered or blocked-off windows – cannabis farms often have constantly closed curtains, black-out blinds or foil coverings
- People coming and going at all hours or neighbours you never see
- Strong and constant lighting day and night
- High levels of heat and condensation – cannabis farms often give off heat and the windows stay misted up
- A constant buzz of ventilation – listen out for a whirring sound as the growers try to create an ideal climate for cannabis plants to grow
- Lots of power cables – offenders often dig underground to lay cables that hook up to things like lamp posts so they do not have to pay for the enormous amounts of electricity they use.
Anyone with information in relation to the discovery of the large number of cannabis plants on Bridge Street is asked to contact Cheshire Police on 101, quoting IML 1791011, give the details via our website or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.