A cannabis farm was uncovered by police officers who were called out to reports of a break-in at a flat.
Merseyside Police received reports of a suspected burglary in Wirral yesterday, but the call led officers to a flat which was being used to grow and store cannabis.
Officers were called to Serpentine Road in Wallasey at around12.20pm on Wednesday, December 22.
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Police said two men had forced entry to a flat by smashing a window before making off from the scene into the gardens on Vicarage Grove before police arrived.
Shortly after, a 19-year-old man from Egremont was arrested on suspicion of burglary with intent to steal.
He was taken into custody for questioning and enquiries are ongoing.
After a warrant was carried out at the targeted address, a cannabis farm with 40-50 plants was discovered inside and the plants were recovered.
Inspector Michael Fletcher of Merseyside Police said: "Officers acted promptly to secure an arrest following reports of this incident, and we continue to appeal to any witnesses who have any further information that could assist our ongoing enquiries.
“We launched a dedicated operation, Operation Castle, in 2018 to reinforce our commitment to tackling burglaries in the region which has led to year-on-year reductions in burglaries across Merseyside, sparing many residents the pain of being subjected to a burglary.
“As part of our efforts to bring offenders to justice and prevent further burglaries, offenders have been jailed for more than 500 years in total, and our pursuit of those who violate the privacy of people’s homes in this callous way will continue.
“During the festive season we are also running Operation Shepherd, a crime prevention strategy to reduce crime and keep communities safe during the festive period.”
In relation to discovering the cannabis farm, Inspector Fletcher added: "It is vital that we find cannabis farms as quickly as possible.
"The offenders who recklessly set up these farms care little for those around them and often dangerously mix electricity with water and overload plug sockets, creating very real risk of fire.
“Nobody wants to live close to a potential death-trap and it's often thanks to people living in the areas affected reporting their suspicions that we are able to shut them down.”
Locals reported seeing a high police presence in the area that were at the scene from yesterday afternoon to this morning..
Police have issues a video on how people can spot signs of cannabis being grown near to where they live can be found here.
Some of the signs that cannabis is being grown include: strange smells and sounds, frequent and varied visitors to a property which are often at unusual times and birds gathering on a roof in cold weather.
Anyone with information on suspected drug production or criminal activity in their community can contact @MerPolCC, call 101 or come forward anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
