Letting agents and landlords warned about cannabis farms

News Category: Legal

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Letting agents and landlords can play a key role in identifying groups setting up cannabis farms, according to Greater Manchester Police (GMP).

The advice came after the force seized cannabis plants worth more than £500,000 from a house in Bolton.

Two people were arrested during the raid, which Sergeant Mark Hazelwood described as an "absolutely fantastic result for the police".

He added that drug dealing and use cause major problems in communities and appealed for the public to continue providing information about cannabis growers.

GMP said letting agents and landlords are well placed to spot people setting up cannabis farms, as the people behind them normally choose to use rented residential properties.

Helping police to close these operations down is also in the best interests of landlords and letting agents, as people running cannabis farms cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to properties and run up huge electricity bills because of the amount of lighting the process involves.

Insurers will not pay out for the damage, while energy companies are likely to pursue landlords for unpaid bills.

Earlier this month, a landlord from Leeds discovered one of his properties was being used as a cannabis farm. He had been unable to gain access to the house for several months and having found that the locks had been changed, he forced the door.

West Yorkshire Police subsequently found 700 cannabis plants, together with heating and lighting equipment in the property.

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