£500,000 drug farm smashed

THE sheer scale of the operation . . . PCSO Colin Ryan surrounded by hundreds of cannabis plants

Police have seized cannabis plants worth £500,000 from a disused factory in Failsworth.

The find, at an industrial estate off Banbury Avenue, came as six officers armed with a warrant, searched the unit.

Inside they found a complete cannabis farm of 752 plants, heating, lighting, a tap into the power supply and even a specially constructed cannabis drying room made from breeze blocks. The factory was formerly used by a recycling company. It’s the biggest seizure in the district, according to Insp Dave Stopford of the Failsworth and Hollinwood neighbourhood policing team.

A 65-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and has been bailed until July 26 pending further inquiries. Police also seized a Peugeot van at the scene of Tuesday morning’s raid.

Insp Stopford added: “This great result is thanks to information provided by the community. The public’s continued help and support is vital in helping us take drugs off the streets of Oldham and make our communities safer.

“Over the past few weeks we have been successful in uncovering a number of cannabis farms and preventing these drugs from reaching the streets of Oldham.

“We will continue to crackdown on drug-related crime and encourage residents to continue to provide us with information that can help us bring offenders to justice.”

Anyone with a neighbourhood policing issue can contact the policing team on 0161-856 8914 or email failsworthandhollinwood.npt@gmp.police.uk