Buxton: Cannabis factory found at former M&S store

Police described the operation as "large-scale"

Police found a "large-scale" cannabis growing operation in a raid on a former M&S store in a Derbyshire town.

Derbyshire Police said 975 plants were discovered in part of the disused unit in Spring Gardens, Buxton, on Monday.

A 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of cannabis cultivation and immigration offences, the force said.

The suspect, believed to be an Albanian national, has been handed over to immigration officers.

Officers said the matter had been referred to the Home Office which will investigate if he was a modern-day slavery victim.

The police seized the plants which were found on several floors of the former store, which closed in 2019.

Sgt Patrick Haley said: "Through information we received from the local community we discovered a large, sophisticated cannabis grow which has now been dismantled and seized."

The force said the raid was part of a wider operation aimed at disrupting serious and organised crime.