Cannabis haul 'worth £1m' seized in Gateshead and Newcastle

Some 4,680 plants were found in various raids

Cannabis with a street value of £1m and weighing a quarter of a tonne (550 lbs) has been seized by police.

Officers found 3,000 plants and £3,000 during raids at six cannabis farms - one of which police described as "industrial-sized" - in Gateshead.

Six men were arrested. Four were found inside an industrial unit in Ryton, along with 1,680 plants, said Northumbria Police.

Three further men and a woman were arrested in Newcastle on Wednesday.

Police described one of the cannabis farms as industrial-sized

Det Ch Insp Paul Woods said "money made from the sale of illicit substances is money which ends up in the hands of criminals who prey on the vulnerable in our communities".

He added: "I know some members of the public have strong feelings about the legality of cannabis, but these large farms are so often linked to modern day slavery and trafficking."

Those arrested were aged between 20 and 40 and were from Vietnam, Poland and Lithuania.

They have all been released while investigations continue.

Police said cannabis farms are often linked to modern day slavery and trafficking