Cannabis plants worth £1.2m found in city centre

The plants had an estimated street value of £1.2m

A "sophisticated" cannabis farm containing almost 1,300 plants with a street value of £1.2m has been uncovered in Sheffield city centre.

Officers made the discovery when they raided a disused building on Eyre Street on 24 October, South Yorkshire Police said.

"Numerous hidden rooms" and a "living quarters" were also found inside the building, although no suspects were located.

Sgt Simon Pickering said officers were "exploring a number of forensic opportunities to identify suspects and bring them into custody".

He added: "Large cannabis grows such as this one are often used to fund the activity of organised crime groups who take advantage of vulnerable people and bring violence to our streets.

"Putting a stop to this operation will have made a significant dent in this criminal activity and we're now working hard to progress the investigation."

A force spokesperson said the door to the building where the set-up was located had been reinforced.

A total of 1,298 plants were found inside, as well as "hidden rooms which had been accessed by someone drilling through walls".

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