Utility worker finds £700,000 cannabis farm

A cannabis farm with plants worth an estimated £700,000 has been discovered by a utility worker in Dinnington.

South Yorkshire Police said the "significant" operation was found when the worker was sent to a property in Laughton Road to execute a warrant after the electricity supply had previously been disconnected.

Officers attended later the grow, which was "hidden away" in a former commercial premises, and found 549 mature cannabis plants and 223 saplings spread across nine rooms.

Temp Insp Dean McLaughlin said: "Cannabis is not a harmless drug. It helps fund organised crime which wreaks misery on innocent members of our local communities."

Signs of a property being used for growing cannabis include windows being blacked out, excessive condensation, visitors at unusual hours and a blocked letterbox, the force said.

Temp Insp McLaughlin said it was important to dismantle cannabis grows to prevent residents from being impacted and stop the supply of the drug.

"We would urge the public to report any concerns to us," he said.

"Your information is vital in helping us tackle these farms."

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