Wigan police cannabis farm bust

Some 250 potted plants under heaters were discovered in rooms when officers executed a search warrant at an address in Orchard Street, Ashton, on Wednesday morning.

The equipment and all the plants - together worth thousands of pounds have since been confiscated.

It is not known whether any arrests have been made in connection with the cultivation of the category B drug.

A spokesman for GMP Wigan West called the seizure “another excellent result for our officers.”

Police often rely on tip-offs from the public to identify cannabis farms.

And there are several things to look out for if you suspect a building in your neighbourhood might contain one:

| Strong, sickly smells. A cannabis crop takes about three months to grow and in the final weeks, the plants give off a very potent smell. Crimestoppers has previously sent out cannabis-farm scratch-and-sniff cards to more than 200,000 homes in the UK to help home-owners tell if they live close to a budding farm.

l Windows constantly covered with panelling or sheeting suggests there’s something the occupants don’t want anyone else to see. This could be a sign that there are many budding plants inside soaking up bright artificial light.

l Excessive security. Growers live in constant fear that their home grown farms will be discovered by police, landlords or rival drug dealers. If there are padlocks on the gates, massive grilles and double and triple locks on the doors, that should raise suspicions – especially if the street is relatively safe.

l High levels of condensation. Are the windows always misted up? From the inside, landlords might notice damp on the walls or peeling wallpaper, while from the outside a neighbour might spot condensation on the windows, even when it’s not the depths of winter. For the best plant growth, cannabis needs an atmosphere similar to a greenhouse which can cause a lot of condensation.

l Frequent and varied visitors to a property, often at unusual times, could mean you just have a popular neighbour with a big family. But if unfamiliar faces are turning up next door day and night, it might be a sign that there’s something more sinister going on.

l The lights, dehumidifiers, hydroponic systems and heaters take a lot of electricity. Many farms have been found where drugs gangs have hacked into the electricity wires before the meter to that individual house, and so bypassed having to pay for the electricity. If you are a landlord who gets a copy of the bill, has it dropped or gone up suddenly? If so, your neighbourhood growers could have tapped into your supply and are charging you to power their drug operation.

l It’s strange for anyone to need unusually bright lights on 24 hours a day. Cannabis needs light to grow, so watch out for homes with bright lighting at all times of the day and night. Lights will often be on a timer switch, coming on in the middle of the night.

l If you can hear the constant noise of a fan, at all times of the day or night, chances are it could be acting as ventilation for the cannabis grow.

If you have any suspicions about a home or other premises in your neighbourhood contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.