Over 200 plants at various stages of maturity were seized from the farm which spanned all three floors of the building.

A man in his twenties was arrested on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis and officers said the man is currently helping police with their enquiries.

ergeant Adrian Dack, of the Hartlepool Community Safety Team, said: “The team have again acted upon the information provided by the community with a positive outcome, more controlled drugs have been recovered and we currently have a male in custody awaiting to be interviewed.

“This action isn’t just about disrupting organised crime and the production of controlled drugs, its about us taking positive action, responding to what the community tell us they want, identifying vulnerable people involved in organised crime and supporting those most vulnerable in society from being exploited by these kinds of crime. We will continue to do so but we still need your help and support.”

Yesterday’s action was conducted as part of Operation Sentinel, a tri-force operation between Cleveland, Northumbria and Durham police, to target serious and organised crime across the region.

Source: The Northen Echo