Appeal for information after more than 2,000 cannabis plants seized

We are appealing for information following the discovery more than 2,000 cannabis plants inside a building in Stoke-on-Trent, as we continue to disrupt drugs operations in the area.

We received reports from local residents who had noticed signs that the address was being used to grow cannabis.

As a result, at 10am on Friday (22 November) we carried out a warrant on St Michaels Road, Tunstall, and recovered 2,877 cannabis plants, 3.8 kilogrammes of dried herbal cannabis and growing equipment.

Western Power also attended to make the electricity supply safe.

Officers are carrying out enquiries to identify those responsible and are asking for anyone with any information to get in touch.

Sergeant Chris Gifford, from Stoke North local policing team (LPT), said: “All of the plants have been seized and we are continuing our work to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.

“We continue to carry out regular checks at the location.

“I’d encourage anyone who spots the signs of cannabis cultivation to report their concerns to us so we can take action and tackle the supply of illegal drugs in Staffordshire.”

The signs of cannabis cultivation include:

• A strong smell of cannabis coming from a building
• Blacked-out windows
• Large amounts of delivery vehicles shipping items to and from the address
• Constant buzz of ventilation
• Strong lighting which is constant day or night
• Lots of power cables – lights, dehumidifiers and heaters use a lot of energy, so growers will often hack electricity wires before the meter of the property to bypass electricity bills

Anyone with any information, particularly those with CCTV and doorbell footage from the area, can call us on 101, quoting incident 106 of 22 November, or message us using Live Chat on our website.

To report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.