Cannabis farm discovered in Vale village

Buy photos » PC Steve Elcocks and Sgt Pete Frankish with some of the mature plants found at a house in Drakes Broughton. (s)

A HUGE cannabis farm was uncovered in a Drakes Broughton house thanks to the keen nose of an off-duty police officer.

Police executed a warrant at a home on Worcester Road last Thursday (September 27) and discovered about 30 mature plants and others at various stages of growth in outhouses at the property.

Several of the plants were ready for havesting and the haul is thought to have a street value of several thousand pounds.

A man in his 30s and a woman in her 20s were arrested and taken to Worcester Police Station for questioning.

The setup was uncovered when an off-duty officer riding along the B4084 on his motorbike smelt the strong odour of cannabis as he passed through Drakes Broughton.

Following this officers launched an investigation and after uncovering evidence cannabis was being grown they executed the warrant.

Sgt Pete Frankish, who led the operation, said: "We treat the issue of illegal drugs in rural communities as seriously as in our towns and cities.

"We have uncovered a sophisticated cultivation operation with plants of varying ages possibly designed to produce a constant supply; this even included a nursery for seedlings.

"It's been a successful operation and resulted from excellent initiative and follow up work by some of our officers."

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