A cannabis farm discovered at a property in Oldham could have caused the whole street to explode, Greater Manchester Police have announced.
Officers raided the terraced house on Worseley Street, Glodwick, and discovered that the growth of 184 cannabis plants was being powered with by-passed electricity.
Two men aged 36 and 35 have been arrested on suspicion of producing controlled drugs.
Electricity Northwest Engineer, Ian Whitehead, said: “The way this electricity had been by-passed was so dangerous that it was like a bomb waiting to go off.
“The by-pass was done by the side of the gas supply and had the poor wiring system short-circuited, I would have expected the whole row of terraced houses to explode.”
The two suspects will appear at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on March 24.
And Detective Sergeant Richard Arthern of the Organised Crime Unit requested that people in the area remain vigilant in the wake of the potentially ‘devastating’ discovery.
“The danger caused by by-passing electricity is not to be underestimated; it could have caused devastation to a whole street,” he said.
“I would urge people to be vigilant and I would ask that you contact police if you have any suspicions about a neighbour or someone you know by-passing electricity.
“We are determined to rid our communities of all drugs but we cannot do this alone and we need the public’s support to continue to provide us with information about illegal activity in their neighbourhood.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 9002, 101, or the independent charity, Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.
Image courtesy of Manuel, via Flickr, with thanks
