A MAN has been arrested after police discovered a hidden cannabis farm during a dawn raid.

A team working on anti-drugs operations came in force to a property in Green Lane, Great Lever, early on Saturday morning, bringing as many as 20 officers, including a firearms unit.

The police were acting on information given by local residents and were able to seize 12 cannabis plants and dismantle the farm.

Onlookers saw two police carriers pull up to the home, close to St Michael’s Primary School.

The group was a mixture of full-time officers and members of GMP’s Specials unit.

Sergeant Peter Crowe, who was in charged of the operation, confirmed it was drugs raid.

He said: “We conducted a warrant in Great Lever this morning. A number of items were recovered from the address including controlled drugs.

“One male is currently assisting with our inquiries.”

Saturday' raid was the second such operation conducted in Bolton in a two-day period.

Early on Friday morning, officers were seen smashing down the door to a property in Dean Court, just outside the town centre, on a similar operation.

GMP recently launched a new website, giving the public a method of reporting information to police.

Sgt Crowe thanked those that came forward to help, and also heaped praise on the special constables who were involved in the raid.

“We have worked with information from the community and have executed this warrant as a direct result of information that has been given to us,” he said.

“We would like to assure the public that we will always take into account information given to us and look to act on it where possible.

“The use of the the special constables has been vital for the work today, they were a fantastic resource and they are hugely important to GMP.”

Special constables are volunteer officers who work with full-time officers, they are trained and have all the authority of a police constable but only do the job on a part-time basis.

They differ from Police Community Support Officers who work full-time alongside the police and are vested with different levels of authority.

Anyone who has information about criminal activity in their area can contact a representative from GMP on 101 or use the new reporting features offered the police website: www.gmp.police.uk.

Alternatively, to give information anonymously, call the independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555111.