Street “stunk of cannabis” after drug farm discovered at Alexandra Road

Bypassers said Alexandra Road “stunk of cannabis” after police recovered a large drugs farm in Southport yesterday, Thursday 19 May.

Officers on patrol yesterday morning noticed a strong smell of cannabis around an address.

Following enquiries, a warrant was executed and a cannabis farm consisting of 1,277 plants across 17 rooms was recovered.

One witness told OTS News that a strong scent of cannabis was detectable throughout the area, and that just driving through the area with a car window open had left a lingering smell.

Enquiries are ongoing to locate those responsible.

Matt Brown, head of the Merseyside Police Cannabis Dismantling Team said: “Thanks to the vigilance of our officers, an extremely large cannabis farm is no longer putting the community in Southport at risk of fire and flood, as well as violence and criminal exploitation. We are now carrying out extensive enquiries to find those responsible.

“No law abiding person wants to live next-door to such death-traps and we do all we can to make the streets safer.

“Keep your eyes, ears and noses open to the signs that cannabis is being grown where you live and work and we will keep taking action. All information helps the work we do, so make us aware and we’ll be there.”

A video in which Matt explains how you can spot signs of cannabis being grown near where you live can be found here – https://youtu.be/rc59i2dsZHM

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 suspicious

Anyone with information on suspected drug production or criminal activity in their community can contact @MerPolCC, call 101 or come forward anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.