Police issue new warning after Wavertree Cannabis farm fire
People urged to get in touch if they spot anything suspicious
Merseyside Police is urging people with information about cannabis farms where they live to get in touch and help keep their community safe. The advice comes after a cannabis farm hidden in a terraced house in Wavertree late last night Sunday, 8 May 2016) caught fire putting neighbouring properties at risk. The discovery was reported to police by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service at 11.55pm. Sergeant Kevin Coakley, who leads a team of specialist cannabis dismantlers from the force’s Matrix unit said the fire could have spread next door and put lives in danger. He said: “The existence of this cannabis farm has put a large number of innocent people’s lives at risk and their homes too. Last night it seems there was an electrical fault which sparked a fire and because these farms are often unoccupied the fire spread until someone living nearby noticed the smoke and called 999. It is only through good fortune and the quick emergency services response that the fire did not spread. The house itself is very badly damaged but, given the time of night the fire broke out, it could have been a far more serious situation.” Firefighters extinguished the fire in the early hours and police officers attended the crime scene this morning. The cannabis dismantling team had to wear masks provided by MFS while they removed up to 60 cannabis plants that had been growing in four rooms at the back of the three-bed mid-terraced property. A police investigation into the criminals responsible for setting up the cannabis farm has now been launched. Sgt Coakley said: “We are increasingly finding cannabis farms thanks to the help of the public. Although often hidden away in vacant properties there are some signs that people can look out for and tell us about if they become suspicious. The money from these drugs go straight into the pockets of criminals and put decent, hard-working, innocent members of the public at risk as a result. So it is in everyone’s interests to look out for them, help keep them out of your community and tell us when you spot something so we can take action.” Some of the signs that cannabis is being grown near where you live: • Strange smells (cannabis being grown smells more pungent than when it is smoked) • Frequent and varied visitors to a property, often at unusual times of the day and night • Gardening equipment being taken into a property, such as plant pots, fertiliser, fans, and industrial lighting • Windows are sealed and covered or the curtains are permanently closed despite the warm weather • Heat or unusual noises from an adjoining property • Birds gathering on a roof in colder weather To report a cannabis farm call Merseyside Police via the 101 non-emergency number or leave information anonymously with Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.