Man found hiding under loft insulation after cannabis farm dismantled by police in Blackburn

Police located and dismantled a number of cannabis farms in the Blackburn area in the last week.

At one address, officers found a man who had attempted to hide underneath loft insulation.

Officers arrested him after extracting the man from his “cosy hiding spot”, giving him a “slightly nicer blanket” in custody.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “Cannabis cultivation and associated drug dealing have been academically associated with increased levels of violent and acquisitive crime.

“They also lead to the tragic exploitation and abuse of vulnerable people. By targeting these illicit operations, we aim to hit organised crime groups where it hurts – by not only arresting offenders but also removing their source of income.

“We also want to safeguard neighbours, as the risk of fires are significantly increased by some of the DIY electrical work that these criminals attempt. Especially during this very hot period”

Police also responded to reports of a robbery at a business in Whitebirk following a spate of burglaries in the area.

Neighbourhood officers located and stopped the offending vehicle within a minute of the offence.

Two 37-year-old men and a 32-year-old man were subsequently arrested and later charged with robbery.

They were remanded into custody after appearing before magistrates.

The stolen stock – valued at £150,000 – was recovered at scene.

“Whilst we do proactively patrol 24/7/365, these sorts of successes would not be possible without information and assistance from people like you,” a spokesman for the force added.

“We do care, and we will act on information that you provide to target organised criminality affecting our communities.”

If you have any information about these incidents, or any other types of crimes, call 101 or report it online at https://doitonline.lancashire.police.uk/.

Alternatively, independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.