A TEENAGE boy was arrested when a cannabis farm worth about £150,000 was stormed by police in Bolton.

The huge operation — described as a "fantastic result" by police bosses — was unearthed in Halliwell Road on Friday.

Officers raided the property at about 11.30am and found large clusters of plants on both the ground floor and upstairs.

An 18-year-old male was arrested at the scene on suspicion of the production of cannabis.

Between 200 and 300 plants were found at the house in separate pods.

Each plant carries an approximate street value of £500, meaning the farm could be worth as much as £150,000. The electricity supply at the house had also been bypassed.

Police carried out the raid after gathering intelligence on the property, and re-inforced their message to residents to be vigilant about the possibility of cannabis being grown at a house on their street.

PC Danny Pugh said: “This discovery was a fantastic result for us and prevents a significant amount of cannabis from being sold on the streets.

“The operation was a big success and has resulted in a person now being in custody.

“If anyone has any suspicions that someone may be growing cannabis, then they should contact us immediately.

“It may simply be a smell as you walk down the street, or plenty of people coming and going from a house.

“Anyone who suspects a cannabis farm is being grown in the street should call us on 101.”

Last year, police across Greater Manchester sent out “scratch and sniff” cards to 10,000 homes so members of the public could recognise the smell of the illegal plant.

The cards emitted the sickly sweet smell of cannabis, which the plant emits as it is growing.

The leaflets also warned residents to look out for high-tech equipment, covered or blocked windows, lighting and buzzing ventilation.

* A farm worth £250,000 was found in disused nightclubs Club Ice and The Late Club in September, but the perpetrators have not yet been caught.