Lancashire police issue cannabis warning

Police have warned residents in West Lancashire that they will take action against anyone they believe to be involved in the cultivation of cannabis.

Lancashire Constabulary has received information which suggests that criminal gangs in Merseyside have been approaching local residents and offering them financial incentives to rent a room from them to grow cannabis in.

It is believed that the gangs provide a full-scale set up complete with lights, plants and soil and even give the householders watering and feeding instructions. When the crop is mature, they return and harvest the fully grown plants to sell.

West Lancashire Sergeant Andy Willis said: “If a householder was to agree to this, they are taking all the risk and, if we discover a crop, we will arrest and seek to prosecute the householder. If it is council accommodation, it is the tenant that is put at risk and will be prosecuted.

“I would warn residents to be wary of anyone who approaches them to rent a room. I would also like to warn anyone who may be involved in this that we are committed to taking action against the cultivation of cannabis and we will look to make arrests and bring any offenders to justice.”

A total of 55 search warrants have been executed across West Lancashire over the past two months targeting organised crime and drugs supply with thousands of pounds of drugs, cash and equipment being seized.

Anyone with information can call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or on-line at crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

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