'Largest ever' cannabis plant seized in drugs raid on Bournville Estate

THE largest ever cannabis plant found in Avon and Somerset was seized by police during a raid on two homes on Weston's Bournville Estate.

The cannabis plant scaling a six-foot fence was just part of a haul of the drug seized from two neighbouring addresses on the Bournville estate this morning (Thursday October 11).

The plant, believed the largest ever found in Avon and Somerset, was found growing in the garden of 48 Brue Close next to another plant that had been cultivated. Inside the house, cannabis bud was drying next to radiators and on a clothes airer. A 55-year-old man is currently in custody after being arrested for cultivation.

Next door, at number 47, a partially cultivated plant was found in the garden with the buds found in jars inside the house. Weapons including a baseball bat, two sets of scales and cash were also seized. A 49-year-old man was arrested.

Neighbourhood beat manager Andy Vallender was one of the team who searched the addresses. He said: "While we obviously had information to prompt us going to the houses, we did not expect to find anything like the size of plants and quantity of cannabis.

"People need to understand that cultivating cannabis is against the law and we will act on any information we get about people growing it.

"When you consider the other things seized from number 48 – the scales, the money, the weapons – you can see it is not a harmless pastime."

If you have any information about someone you suspect of cultivating cannabis, call Weston police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.