Large cannabis farm discovered at disused Walsall school

Residents had raised concerns of an unexplained police presence on Kent Street, in Coalpool, over the weekend.

It has now been confirmed by West Midlands Police Cannabis Disposal Team on social media that a cannabis farm containing 711 plants was discovered inside what was once Abu Bakr Boys' School.

The school closed down over the lockdown period, and has been boarded up for quite some time.

One resident said police had been in the area for around a week, with more officers around on Friday and throughout the weekend.

Another said they had seen armed police show up on Sunday at around 4am.

Those living near to the building had not been told why police were in the area, leaving many concerned.

One resident, who lives near the building and asked to not be named, said: "It's usually quiet around here so you notice when there's a lot of cars around.

"The building used to be a school, but it closed around Covid time.

"They've been around for around a week, and there was a lot of them on the weekend, but nothing is happening.

"Nobody has knocked our door to say anything or tell us to keep our eyes peeled for anything.

"But it's been a pretty consistent prescience from what I've seen, since around a week ago."

On Monday afternoon, a sole police car was parked on the premises of the old school, with officers sitting inside.

A woman who lives in the area and has children at North Walsall Primary Academy, said: "My kids go to the school just around the corner.

"As soon as I got to the turning of the road on Friday, I could see them coming.

"There was a lot of them, there were two vans and two cars.

"I have been seeing them for a few days now, apart from the police I haven't seen anybody around here.

"They haven't blocked off a road or anything, it's really weird."