A MAN has been arrested and charged after an industrial cannabis farm with an estimated annual yield of more than £1.7million was uncovered in Birkenhead.

When police carried out a search of warehouse in Cleveland Street they found 427 cannabis plants and equipment.

The force's Cannabis Dismantling Team (CDT) attended has since seized all the items.

Enquiries are ongoing.

Nathan Hakaim, 32, from Liscard was arrested and has been charged with cannabis production and remanded in custody and appeared at Wirral Adult Remand Court on Tuesday.

He will next appear for trial at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, December 17.

Matt Brown, who heads up the CDT, said: "This is a massive find which has removed significant harm from the streets of Wirral and beyond.

"Such a set-up creates such a risk of fire and flood to neighbouring businesses, and organised crime is funded by such reckless enterprises.

"We work daily in communities across Merseyside to find and seize farms in residences and businesses alike.

"No hard-working person wants to live or work next to such harm, and key to these finds are those very people.

"Look out for the signs, keep giving us information and we will take positive action to keep your streets safe."

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