£1m cannabis haul in police swoop

Police seized cannabis plants said to have a street value of almost £1million at a house in Dudley today.

At least a thousand plants thought to be the Class B drug were discovered in the dawn raid on a semi-detached house in Himley Road, Lower Gornal, at 7am.

A team of 10 officers swooped and recovered plants from all of the rooms in the four-bedroom house except the kitchen.

About 3,000 litres of fertilzer and 72 lamps were also discovered at the unkempt property. One man, who is described as a foreign national in his late 20s, has been arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis. He was asleep in the downstairs living room when officers forced their way inside.

The officer in charge of the raid, Pc Paul Jones, from Sedgley police station, said: "Entry was forced into the property, and there was a large amount of what we believe to be cannabis plants. This shows the community that action is being taken and will be taken again."

Motorists driving along the busy road slowed down to see what was happening. Arnold Bailey, aged 72, who lives opposite the property, said: "When I drew back the curtains at 7.15am, I saw the police lined up outside ready to go in. "It was a shock but perhaps not in this day and age."

He added that the property had appeared to be empty since November.

The lamps have been donated to Dudley Zoo to heat animal enclosures, while the fertiliser was collected by a charity worker from St Thomas's Community Network to use for growing flowers.

Police officers carried out the raid on the property with a warrant which had been issued under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Forensic investigators were at the scene for at least five hours removing plants and other evidence.