CAUTION FOR MAN WITH UKP6.5k WORTH OF CANNABIS

A MAN was cautioned by police after a drugs raid netted 24 mature
cannabis plants being grown in a house.

The 2ft-high plants, valued at around UKP6,000, were found growing in
the bedroom of a house in Gray Street, Hartlepool.

The raid was the latest in a string of operations run by police in the
town, which have netted more than UKP650,000 worth of cannabis in the
last three months.

The operation, which was carried out on Wednesday, was the sixth to be
staged in January alone and took the month's total haul of cannabis up
to UKP67,000.

A man in his late 30s was arrested the following day, before he was
later released with a caution after it emerged he had no previous
convictions.

Sergeant Stuart Porritt, of the neighbourhood policing team for the
Dyke House area of Hartlepool, said: "The plants were upstairs in a
bedroom, along with all of the heating and lighting equipment.

"They were being cultivated for what we suspect to be for the man's
personal use.

"The drugs have been seized and they will be destroyed at some time in
the future."

Despite the recent successes, police are still urging people to give
them information on anyone they believe to be involved in drugs. Sgt
Porritt added: "These operations will continue as far as the
neighbourhood policing team is concerned.

"We will be targeting addresses where we believe they are cultivating
plants and people who are involved in such activities should expect a
visit from us.

"If anyone has any information about people cultivating cannabis,
please feel free to contact Hartlepool Police office, where their
information will be treated with the greatest of confidentiality."

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/Caution-for-man-with-65k.3737099.jp