Police have revealed that more than 800 cannabis plants worth around £500,000 were uncovered in a disused pub in Tameside.
Officers raided The Church pub on Wakefield Road in Stalybridge yesterday morning (Wednesday) after members of the local community said they could smell cannabis. Tactical Aid Unit officers burst in and discovered the plants.
A 44-year-old man and a child who were inside the former pub tried to flee the scene. They were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply. The child has been released on bail pending further enquiries and the other is still in custody, GMP said.
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The plants were found growing over three floors, including in the basement. Police found bin bags had been used to seal off makeshift designated rooms.
The building also had an intricate web of ventilation pipes and lighting running through it. Ironically, a sign warning of the old pub's 'zero drugs policy' was still up on the wall.
In an update issued this morning (Thursday), police confirmed 815 plants had been seized from the pub in total. These would be worth around £500,000 at street value.
A post on the GMP Facebook page said: "#UPDATE | Following yesterday’s seizure of hundreds of cannabis plants from The Church in #Stalybridge, GMP can now report that the final count of plants recovered was 815 – worth an estimated £500,000.
"We would again like to thank the community in #Stalybridge for reporting their concerns around this particular premises."
Yesterday, Chief Inspector Claire Galt, of Neighbourhoods and Partnerships in Tameside, said: "I would personally like to thank the local community for coming forwards and making us aware of their concerns surrounding The Church pub. We are extremely pleased that this cannabis will not find its way onto the streets of Stalybridge or the wider community."
She added: "We would not have been able to achieve this without the help of the Tameside people and we want to let them know that we will always listen to them and act whenever appropriate.
"If you have any information regarding criminality in the Tameside area, then please dial 101 or contact the independent charity – Crimestoppers – on 0800 555 111."
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