£700k cannabis factory found in former bar

A £700,000 drugs factory in a former bar has been shut down after being discovered by police.

- OWEN YOUNGER

Officers located the industrial-sized cannabis farm thanks to tip-offs from members of the local community.

Police attended the former bar on Ocean Road in South Shields last Friday after reports of a strong smell coming from the unoccupied building. After gaining access, a huge operation was uncovered, and it has now been dismantled by police.

Over 1,300 plants at various stages of growth, and a range of relevant equipment was found across the three-floor operation, and the overall value of everything seized was £700,000.