Police find £1m cannabis farm in North Shields

Northumbria Police carried out a search of the premises on the Fish Quay in North Shields, uncovering a haul of more than 1,100 plants which experts value in the region of between £630,000 and £900,000.

The industrial sized farm, which spanned an area roughly the size of an Olympic-sized swimming pool, has been dismantled by officers and 1,131 plants seized for destruction.

A 27-year-old man discovered inside the Bell Street premises and believed to be living there was arrested and has since been charged with being concerned in the production of cannabis.

Superintendent Craig Metcalfe said: “This was a significant farm and I’ve no doubt it would have been very lucrative to those running it.

“These types of operations can have devastating effects on our communities so it’s vital these illegal drugs are found, destroyed and taken off the streets.

“Let me be clear – money made from selling illicit substances is money which funds further criminal activity, and we’ve made it clear we will not tolerate this.

“In my experience large farms this one are often linked to modern day slavery, human trafficking, and we are committed to stopping this under the banner of Operation Sentinel – our joined up approach to tackling serious and organised crime.”

Anyone with any concerns relating to drug use or has information they would like to report should contact police via 101 or online via the police’s website. People can also report anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.