Police uncover £1.6m cannabis farm at Wallasey

Officers entered the property at 10.15am and recovered 415 plants from nine rooms of a two storey flat.

A quantity of plant matter was also recovered. Merseyside Police’s specialist cannabis dismantling team attended to remove the plants.

An investigation is ongoing.

The scene at the property on Rake Lane when police attended this morning

Chief Inspector Paul Sutcliffe said: "The cannabis found would have an estimated annual yield of over £1.5m.

"Thankfully officers have taken action and prevented criminals from making any further financial gain from this property.

"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 properties such as this.

"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 for this purpose, please tell us so we can take positive action and find those responsible for setting them up."

The discovery is the third found in Wirral in recent months

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