How to tell if someone is growing cannabis in your neighbourhood

Officers executed a warrant at a property on Roewood Close in Holbury on Tuesday and it is believed £100k worth of cannabis was being grown within the semi-detached house.

Following the discovery, police arrested 32-year-old man on suspicion cannabis cultivation.

The man initially tried to evade arrest by jumping out of a window and as result suffered an injury to his leg. He’ll be questioned after he receives treatment.

Residents are urged to call police on 101 or via Crimestoppers (0800 555 111) with information about drug-related or suspicious activity.

Hampshire Constabulary say that all reports help them build up an intelligence picture of what’s happening, and allows them to take action and stop drug supply.

How can you tell if there is a cannabis farm in your neighbourhood?

Here are the signs to look out for according to police:

There's a strong, sickly smell

It might sound obvious, but most cannabis grows are discovered by passers-by or keen-nosed residents catching a whiff of the drug's familiar smell.

High levels of condensation

Landlords might notice damp on the walls or peeling wallpaper, while from the outside a neighbour might spot condensation on the windows, even when it's not the depths of winter.

The condensation may well be due to inside having been turned into a makeshift greenhouse.

Constantly covered or blacked out windows

Do they have the curtains drawn all day long? Or have they put black-outs over all the windows?

It might make it look like the house is unoccupied, but blacked out windows could well mean inside is really, really bright with all those strong lights.

Cannabis growing equipment transported to and from the house

Thousands of pounds worth of equipment is often needed for large-scale grows - have you seen lots of things being delivered to the house, or large items being taken in or out?

Constant buzz of ventilation

If you can hear the constant noise of a fan, at all times of the day or night, chances are it could be acting as ventilation for the cannabis grow.

Strong, constant lighting day and night

Cannabis needs light to grow, so watch out for homes with bright lighting at all times of the day and night. Lights will often be on a timer switch, coming on in the middle of the night.

Lots of power cables and rocketing electricity bills

The lights, dehumidifiers and heaters take a lot of electricity.

Growers will often hack into the electricity wires before the meter to that individual house, and so bypass having to pay for the electricity.

If you are a landlord who gets a copy of the bill, has it dropped suddenly, or gone up suddenly?

If you are a neighbour and your bill has rocketed – maybe your next door neighbour has hacked into your mains and you're paying to grow their drugs?

Heat, birds on the roof, and a lack of snow

Cannabis factories produce a lot of heat, which can cause tell-tales signs, especially in winter.

When it snows, the roofs of cannabis farms can be obvious as the snow melts, meaning it is probably the only house on the street without a snow-covered roof.

Birds also like roosting on a nice warm roof...

Unsociable comings and goings

Are there lots of unfamiliar faces turning up at the house at any time of the day and night? It could just be a popular family, but maybe it's something more sinister.