Police seize over £180,000 worth of cannabis causing a fire hazard in Hartlepool

Over £180,000 worth of cannabis was seized by the Hartlepool Neighbourhood Police Team on Friday, September 6.

Officers discovered around 300 plants at an address in Milton Road at around 1pm.

Sergeant Dack, from the Hartlepool Community Safety Team, said “Cannabis farms require large amounts of power to run and this frequently involves unlawfully bypassing the mains electricity supply resulting in a very serious fire hazard.

“There was clear evidence today that the electrical equipment installed at the address was installed by amateurs and this, coupled with the increased amounts of water used in these farms, puts the lives of both those inside the address and members of the public in adjoining properties, at risk.”

The police have released typical signs of a cannabis farm being grown. These are:

A strong smell of cannabis consistently in the area.

Lights on inside the address 24 hours a day.

Sealed windows or curtains and blinds permanently closed.

Increased heat detected from adjoining properties. Birds will often gather on the roof of a warm property in cold weather.

Frequent visitors to the property, often at unusual times.

Gardening equipment, such as bags of fertiliser, plant pots as well as fans and industrial lighting being taken into the address.

No arrests have been made so far and police inquiries are ongoing.

Anyone who has information regarding drugs activity in their area is urged to call Cleveland Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.