More than £100,000 worth of cannabis has been seized in a sting by Lancashire police across parts of Hyndburn and the rest of the county.

Four warrants were carried out at addresses in Hermitage Street and Chapel Street in Rishton on Friday, September 5, and altogether 16 plants were found.

The crackdown started in July when officers executed 15 warrants across East Lancashire, in Accrington.

Detective Inspector Simon Upton said: “The raids are part of our on-going commitment to tackling drugs.

“Cannabis cultivation, particularly commercial cultivation is a problem which affects all areas of the country but we’re determined to tackle it in East Lancashire.

“Cannabis cultivation feeds a multi-million pound black market in increasingly potent and dangerous cannabis, which can have lasting physical and mental health effects on users.

“It is important that we work with communities to make sure that everyone knows what to look out for – from screened-off windows and unusual amounts of heat emanating from a property to signs of bypassing electricity meters.

“We need the public to continue to work with us to help us tackle drug crime by informing us of any suspicious activity.Between January and June 2014, 146 cannabis cultivation offences were recorded in Lancashire where there were five plants or more.

More than 7,000 plants were seized in total, at an approximate value of £400 per plant, equating to £2,830,800 for fully grown plants. 
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