Cannabis farm worth £1m found in former shop unit

The large cannabis factory was found inside a former Poundland in Huntingdon

A cannabis factory worth an estimated £1m has been discovered inside a former Poundland and Woolworths.

Officers found more than 1,000 cannabis plants at the unit on the High Street in Huntingdon town centre, Cambridgeshire.

The plants and growing equipment were seized by officers on Monday, but no arrests were made.

Neighbourhood inspector Colin Norden said officers had been on anti-social behaviour patrols when they saw the signs of a suspected cannabis factory.

An excessive amount of plant pots, chemicals, fertilisers and compost could be indicators of a cannabis factory, police said

Officers said the key signs to spot a potential cannabis factory included frequent visitors at unsocial hours, blacked out windows or condensation on the windows and bright lights in rooms throughout the night.

They added a powerful, distinctive, sweet and sticky aroma could sometimes be noticed as well as noise from fans and electricity meters being tampered with.

Insp Norden said: "While no arrests have been made at this time, an investigation is ongoing.

"Growing and selling cannabis is not only illegal but can also generate funds for gangs to use in other criminal enterprises.

"We will continue to disrupt drug dealing networks and stop criminals making money from the illegal drugs trade and we continue to ask for the communities support in doing this."

Insp Norden said officers had been drawn to the signs of a suspected cannabis factory at the old Poundland store