Mexborough: Road dug up to repair cannabis factory damage

Police said about 80 plants were found growing as well as more which had been dried

A South Yorkshire road was dug up to repair electricity cables damaged by drug growers, police have said.

Officers recovered cannabis plants with a street value of £80,000 from the house on Doncaster Road in Mexborough on Wednesday.

However, the South Yorkshire force said the illegal electrical set-up powering the grow was "extremely dangerous".

Blackouts have been caused in other parts of Doncaster by gangs running cannabis factories.

In June, Deputy Chief Constable Tim Forber said electricity supplies had been disrupted by the "sophisticated enterprises" in the Hexthorpe and Balby areas

The force said more than 2,400 plants, 18kg of cannabis and £136,000 in cash had been seized in the year to June.

Speaking after the latest find, Sgt Liam Watson said the electrical set-up could have resulted in a fire at the property.

He asked the public to get in touch if they believed homes where they lived were being used to grow cannabis.

Sgt Watson added: "Pieces of information, no matter how small they may seem, can add up to give us a better intelligence picture."