A RAID on a house in Prestwich has unearthed a cannabis farm which police say was capable of generating up to £1million a year.

Acting on a tip-off, neighbourhood officers searched a home, believed to be in Nursery Road, late on Saturday.

Bury Times:

Five hundred cannabis plants were discovered across the property and a man has been arrested on suspicion of cultivating the drug.

Electricity engineers had to be alerted as those responsible for setting up the operation had wired their supply straight to the National Grid underneath the lawn at the property.

Bury Times:

A spokesman for police in Prestwich said: "After receiving reports from the public, Prestwich neighbourhood team destroyed a large cannabis farm yesterday.

"A male suspected to be involved was detained and arrested nearby on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and was also of interest to immigration.

"The property hosted over 500 plants, almost 200 in the attic alone, and based on four crops a year is estimated to be worth £800,000 to £1million.

"The set-up within the house was extremely dangerous as the electrics were directly connected to the National Grid, meaning Electricity North West were required to dig up the garden in order to cut off their supply."

Police have confirmed that the cannabis will eventually be incinerated and the man arrested has been interviewed and released under investigation.

The raid is the second major find in Prestwich in a matter of weeks.

Neighbourhood officers also made three arrests after a house in Bury Old Road was raided on April 22, leading to the discovery of dozens of plants.