Cannabis farm worth £1.6 million discovered in Bootle

Officers have arrested a man, following the discovery of cannabis farm in Bootle earlier this week, thought to be worth in excess of £1.6 million.

The farm was discovered on Tuesday, 22 January, after officers noticed a man acting suspiciously outside a disused furniture shop at the junction of Beresford Street and Derby Road. Officers then arrested the man and searched the address, where they discovered 414 plants across three rooms alongside a large amount of growing equipment.

The man, aged 36 from Dingle, was arrested on suspicion of cannabis cultivation and has since been released under investigation.

The plants have since been recovered and the scene forensically examined.

Cannabis Dismantling Team Manager, Matt Brown: “This cannabis farm was recovered following a stop check and this is one example of how this power can help put a stop to criminality in our communities.

“Criminal groups involved in the growing of cannabis are often involved in other serious organised crime and don’t care about the harm these drugs cause to the most vulnerable people in our society.

“Nobody wants to live or work next door to these places and we would ask that if you believe someone is using a property for this purpose, please tell us so we can take positive action and find those responsible for setting them up.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via @MerPolCC or by contacting 101. You can also contact @CrimestoppersUK anonymously on 0800 555 111.