Residents suffer 'severe disruption' to power after discovery of £350,000 drugs den in Hartlepool street

Officers from Hartlepool’s Neighbourhood Police Team discovered the cannabis farm in Stanhope Avenue on Tuesday, September 27.

It was spread over three stories, with hydroponics and other growing equipment, and over 350 plants with a value of around £350,000 were recovered.

A man has been arrested and charged following a police pursuit although another male is still on the run.

Cleveland Police said: “Upon entry to the address, two males made off from the rear of the property.

"Officers pursued them on foot, and a 39-year-old man was arrested and later charged with production of cannabis.

“Two vehicles were seized by officers on suspicion of being used in crime.

“The other male is still outstanding and anyone who knows of his whereabouts is asked to contact 101.”

The force added: “It is important that we locate and dismantle cannabis farms such as this, not only to get drugs off the street but more often than not the farms are set up with extremely dangerous electrical supplies.

“The set up at this particular address required major intervention from Northern Powergrid to make the address safe and involved engineers digging up the street, causing severe disruption to the entire neighbourhood who were intermittently without power through the night.

“This electrical set up was also potentially lethal to members of the public simply walking down the street, with cables laid under paving stones on the footpath which may have been live.”

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