PUBLIC HELPING POLICE TRAP CANNABIS GROWERS

POLICE have reported a 900 per cent leap in reports of suspected cannabis
cultivation within the past month.

Officers have said the public are helping trap growers and forcing them
out of the area, as calls spiked from one or two a week to around four per
day.

Following a wave of raids on cannabis factories carried out after
tip-offs, police have warned criminals this is 'only the beginning' of an
operation to drive them out of North Lincolnshire forever.

Sgt Martin Coffey has led a number of high-profile and successful raids in
the region in recent weeks, he said public confidence in reporting drug
growing had hit a peak.

"Since the farms we found in August receives a lot of coverage in the
Scunthorpe Telegraph the number of people calling in has gone right up,"
said Sgt Coffey.

"Before we were only seeing one or two people a week, now it's three of
four every day and the public are giving us a lot of valuable information.

"People are raising concerns over everything from the setting up stages,
to working farms."

Sgt Coffey said for operational reasons, among others, it was not possible
to put a number on how many cannabis farms North Lincolnshire could be
housing.

"We know there are more though, and there are already other addresses
we're looking at and making inquiries into," he said.

He said all reports made to police were fully investigated and warned
criminals this was a 'very bad time' to be running a cannabis farm.

"We as police feel quite confident right now, we are meeting our
objectives and making a lot of progress in this area.

"The risk to people growing cannabis has increased significantly thanks to
the public. This is only the beginning for the criminals."