Water damage unearths neighbour’s secret drugs factory with 170 cannabis plants

A ‘large’ cannabis factory was discovered by chance after it caused a water leak which damaged a neighbour’s property.

Police found 170 plants at a house on Cove Road in Farnborough, Hampshire on Friday.

The plants, most of which were mature and ready for harvesting, have all been seized, police said.

Officers said the factory had unsafe wiring due to the electrical supply being bypassed, but has since been made safe by engineers.

Police did not say if anyone had been arrested in connection with the discovery but said that enquiries are ‘currently ongoing’.

Sgt Daniel Eaves said: ‘We know that a lot of people think that it’s just cannabis and no big deal.

‘We have also heard people say that if it were legalised, all these problems we talk about would go away.

‘It is not for us to get into debate about the law, and while the production and supply of cannabis is illegal, people are victims of serious harm, and people suffer – which is something that we cannot ignore.

‘In this instance it appears that the electrical supply had been bypassed, with unsafe electrical cables and wiring inside the property.

‘A leak had also been caused, which had impacted the neighbour’s address and could have had much more serious consequences for nearby properties and even people’s lives.

‘For these reasons and many more, it’s not just cannabis – it’s linked to serious criminality and serious harm which we are not going to ignore.’

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