POLICE UNCOVER NEW CANNABIS 'FACTORY'

POLICE responding to a call about a suspected burglary at a Burton house
instead found a cannabis 'factory' containing drugs with a street value of
more than UKP20,000.

Officers found 200 semi-mature cannabis plants and a further 100 plants
harvested ready for sale in three upstairs bedrooms and in downstairs rooms
at the house, in Derby Road.

Police, who also seized hydroponics equipment used for growing the plants,
spent around 24 hours at the property. A rear window had been forced but
no-on was found in the house.

One nearby resident, who asked not to be named, said: "It all started at
about 5am, when two forensics vans and four police cars turned up. They
were carrying out all these strange tubes and bottles and there was lots of
soil in the back garden that the police had brought out of the house.

"It's a rented house but we never saw the people who were renting it.
Occasionally you would see a light go on and off but that was it."
Staffordshire Police spokesman Pete Stevens warned residents to be on their
guard for suspicious activity which can be an indicator of drug production.
He said: "Unfortunately this is the latest in a number of cannabis
factories discovered in Burton and across the Trent Valley division across
the last few months.

"Some people are prepared to take risks associated with growing these
plants because the profits can be extremely high.

"We would urge landlords and neighbours to be vigilant and watch out for
the tell-tale signs such as people coming and going late at night, strange
smells coming from properties, windows blacked out, pipes sticking out of
windows and deliveries of large quantities of garden materials.

"If anyone has any suspicions about such activity in their area, they
should call the police and we will take action. We always follow up calls
about drug dealing and drug offences." Anyone with information on the
incident is asked to telephone Staffordshire Police on 0300 1234455 or
Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111, quoting incident number 041/24.