A CANNABIS farm worth £500,000 has been discovered in Pensby after being sniffed out by a member of the public.

The operation was discovered by Merseyside Police in a house on Somerset Road after they received a tip-off from a member of the public of a strong smell of cannabis coming from the property.

Officers raided the house on Tuesday morning and found a total of 126 plants – in various stages of growth – inside.

Police say the plants have an estimated annual yield of around £500,000.

They were removed from the property along with sophisticated hydroponic growing equipment.

The electricity was also found to have been illegally bypassed.

Wirral West neighbourhood inspector Brian Griffiths said: “also found to have been illegally bypassed.

Neighbourhood Inspector for Wirral West Brian Griffiths, said: "Cannabis cultivation by criminal gangs can cause serious harm in our communities. Criminal groups involved in the cultivation of cannabis are usually involved in other serious organised crime and they often rent residential properties such as this.

"The growing of cannabis also brings dangers to neighbouring properties. Cannabis farms are a serious fire risk. Those who set up these farms often tamper with the electricity meters to steal electricity, and there will generally be a number of hot lamps hooked to overloaded electricity sockets and an extensive watering system.

"Electricity and water are never a good combination and the fire service have seen an increase in the number of fires they have been called to as a result of fires caused by the crude systems put in place by the people who set up these farms.

Inspector Griffiths added: "In this case, vital information was provided by the community and we acted on it immediately. Our communities can help us stop these groups, who are only interested in making money, from turning houses and flats into potential death traps.

"Nobody wants to live next door to these houses and we would ask that if you believe someone is using a property in a street for this purpose please tell us so we can take positive action and find those responsible for setting them up."

Some of the signs that cannabis is being grown are:

  • Strange smells and sounds
     
  • Frequent and varied visitors to a property, often at unusual times

    • Gardening equipment being taken into a property, such as plant pots, fertiliser, fans and industrial lighting

• Windows are sealed and covered or the curtains are permanently closed

• Heat from an adjoining property

• Birds gathering on a roof in cold weather

• Individually these activities may seem commonplace, however, together may indicate something more sinister

Anyone with any information can call Wirral CID on 0151 777 2260, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.