Officers in Halewood arrested three people after tracing a trail of soil from a suspected burglary to a nearby property. A 21-year-old man and two boys, aged 14 and 15, all from Halewood, were taken into custody on suspicion of burglary and possession of a class B controlled drug with intent to supply.
Burglary report leads to cannabis discovery
Police were called to an address on Poulton Road, Halewood, just after 9.30pm on Sunday, October 18, following reports of several men armed with crowbars. On arrival, officers found damage to the property's fence and window. A large cannabis farm was discovered inside, with several plants believed to have been stolen.
Officers followed a trail of soil from the scene to a nearby property, where the arrests were made. The arrests followed reports of a strong smell of cannabis at the address, and officers reportedly found soil in the suspects' shoes.
Items seized in search
A search of the property uncovered a large pillowcase containing cannabis plants, several snap bags of cannabis, three electric bikes, an electric scooter, a mobile phone and a flick knife. All three were taken to a Merseyside police station, where they remain in custody.
Neighbourhood Chief Inspector Robert Budden said: “Around 23 cannabis plants were discovered by our officers overnight and three were arrested on suspicion of burglary after a trail of soil led us to several plants at a house in Halewood following a thorough police search.”
Appeal for information
Budden added: “Our officers will always act on any reports we receive about illicit drugs being stored in our community and we will continue to proactively find and remove these harmful cannabis farms. If you suspect that drugs are being manufactured, stored or supplied where you are, please continue to contact police, or call Crimestoppers anonymously.”
Police highlighted signs that cannabis is being grown, including strange smells and sounds, frequent visitors at unusual times, gardening equipment being taken into a property, sealed or covered windows, heat from an adjoining property, and birds gathering on a roof in cold weather. Anyone with information on suspected drug supply can contact Merseyside Police via X or Facebook @MerPolCC, report online, or call 101. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
