Cannabis factory is uncovered in detached house

8:53am Wednesday 25th July 2007

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CANNABIS plants worth £100,000 have been found at a sophisticated drugs farm hidden inside a smart, detached family house.

Police raided the three-bedroom home in Forton Avenue, Breightmet, after a tip-off.

They discovered about 200 plants being cultivated under an elaborate system of lamps and fans.

The drug-growing operation had been set up in less than four weeks after the house was renovated and then let by the landlord.

Every window had been covered in plastic sheeting and the three upstairs bedrooms had been turned over to growing the drug.

A Vietnamese man in his 30s was arrested at the scene on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and is being questioned by police.

He was found asleep in a downstairs room when police smashed through a side door at 9.30am yesterday (Tuesday).

The house - No 1 Forton Avenue - is the fifth farm manufacturing high-strength "skunk" cannabis to be discovered in quiet Bolton streets in the last six months.

Sgt John Boyce said: "This house had been turned very quickly from a normal home in to a professional enterprise for growing cannabis.

"It's very likely that this was set up with money from organised crime and by people who are experienced at growing the drug.

"The man we have arrested is a foreign national.

"It is more than likely he has been brought to this country with the promise of legitimate work only to lfind that he was obliged to work as a minder at this farm."

As forensice specialists carried out an examination at the house yesterday, shocked neighbours said the owner had recently spent thousands of pounds renovating the property as an investment before renting it about four weeks ago.

Edward Rigby, aged 75, who lives next door to the house, said he was suspicious of his new neighbours after seeing people make regular visits to the property at odd times of the day and night.

"I've been living here for 40 years and never imagined that something like this could be happening next door to me."

In May, 600 plants were found growing in a terracehouse in Cestrian Street, Great Lever, where thousands of pounds had been spent on lights and fans.

And two houses in Queen's Avenue, Bromley Cross, were found to be home to more than 400 plants in April.

Smaller farms, growing about 50 plants each, were uncovered in Mill Lane, Blackrod, and Albert Road, Farnworth, in April and May respectively.

A total of 50 have been found in Greater Manchester since the start of 2007.