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Police sniff out a cannabis farm
DRUGS HAUL ...community support officer Laura Sinclair with the seized cannabis.
A CANNABIS farm has been sniffed out by a police patrol in a South Tyneside street.
Community support officer Lee Sherriff was on duty in Jacks Terrace, South Shields, when he picked up on the smell of what he believed to be cannabis coming from an upstairs flat.
When he failed to get an answer from the rented property, the owner was contacted, and let police in.
Once inside, officers from the West Shields policing team found 80 plants, believed to be cannabis with an estimated street value of thousands of pounds, along with lighting equipment.
Electricity company NEDL was also called out, to turn off the power and make the flat safe.
A 35-year-old man from South Tyneside has been arrested on suspicion of cultivating a cannabis farm, and was later released on police bail pending further inquiries. The plants have now been sent for analysis.
West Shields Neighbourhood Sergeant Steve Prested said: “Due to the diligence of an officer on patrol, we have been able to take positive action to disrupt what we believe to be criminal activity taking place in this property.
“We take the issue of drugs very seriously and we would encourage anyone who suspects drug activity happening in their area to contact police or speak to their local neighbourhood policing team.”
The find, on Wednesday at about 7.30pm, is not the first to be made by a CSO on patrol.
In October 2009, CSOs Steve Lorrison and Mark Halliday came across a cannabis farm in Leighton Street, also while on patrol.
The pair had spotted a UV glow coming from an upstairs flat, and when they went to investigate they also came across a strong smell of cannabis.
More than 100 cannabis plants were found in the flat.
Last year, officers believe they smashed one of the biggest cannabis farms in the borough, when 650 plants were seized at a property in Laygate.
Anyone who believes drug activity is happening in their neighbourhood is asked to call police on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Twitter: @shieldsgazlisa
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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Comments
There are 6 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Brian. H.
Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 05:47 PMTobacco may be harmful, but when did you ever hear about some young thug smokin 20 regal and then crashing their car into some innocent pedestrian? Exactly! NEVER!!
plowden
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 07:43 AMFor those who say silly comments like "you should be allowed to grow a small amount of your own"... That's not a great idea. The majority grow for one reason, profit, illegal profit. Remember the declassification? The same would happen, drug releated crime would increase.
pithaspat
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 06:46 PMThats the whole idea,people wouldnt need to buy it off anyone if they were allowed to own there own few...this is a fact!!,,,and as for class A drugs,a think spirits should be in the class A catagory,,half the time the damage is caused by whats in the drug(wot its cut with,etc)and not the drug its self,after all,theres no quality control when things are illegal,,,this is also a fact!!
Cobbler
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 07:24 AMPerhaps people in Switzerland don't sell their cannabis and use the proceeds to buy in Class "A" drugs?. Which,(I am sure you will agree), is far more "damaging" than alcohol or tobacco?
pithaspat
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 03:58 PMit should be like it is in switzerland,people are allowed to grow 4 pot plants , , ,it makes sens-i . . .lets be honest,the's far more damaging substances in the shops,alcohol and tobacco!!
hayley4315
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 01:05 PMofficers "sniffing" cannabis seems to be increasing. perhaps it saves on obtaining a search warrant or fools growing the stuff not realising someone has grassed ( pardon the pun) them up..
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