Police rumble £500k cannabis farm during raid at former Bank of Scotland in Kidderminster

Police raided a former bank building and rumbled a half a million pound cannabis farm. The old Bank of Scotland in Kidderminster was being used to grow more than 650 illicit plants.

The town centre drugs bust took place in the early hours of Monday morning (November 25) after concerns were raised about the smell of cannabis wafting from the building. The plants found within the 'sophisticated' set up had an estimated street value of almost £500,000.

Two men in their 30s were arrested at the scene on suspicion of production of cannabis. Both remain in police custody while further enquiries were carried out.

READ MORE: Met Office and UKHSA issue urgent 63-hour alert for five UK regions

Detective Sergeant Kirsty Hill, from the North Worcestershire County Lines team at West Mercia Police said: “This is a fantastic result which has seen us remove a significant quantity of cannabis from the streets. This was a sophisticated operation with specialist lighting and ventilation systems to maximise the number of class B drugs that could be cultivated.

“These grows are often linked to serious and organised crime groups, human trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable people, and can present significant fire safety risks to the people in the surrounding area. This warrant sends a clear message, that we will not tolerate criminal activity within our communities, and we will act upon information provided by members of the public.”