Drugs worth £345k seized in ex-costume store raid

Drugs estimated to be worth about £345,000 have been seized from a former costume store which had been converted into a cannabis factory.

An "extensive cultivation" containing about 345 plants was discovered spread across five rooms in the property on Rowms Lane in Swinton, Rotherham, according to South Yorkshire Police.

A drugs warrant was carried out at the site on Thursday following the gathering of local intelligence and all the plants were seized and would be destroyed, officers said.

The electricity inside the property had also been bypassed and it had since been secured, they added.

Insp Lesley Fretwell, from South Yorkshire Police, said: "Drugs have no place in our communities.

"Cannabis isn't a harmless substance. It funds organised crime and is linked to the exploitation of vulnerable people.

"We will carry on gathering intelligence and working with partners to create safer communities."

Insp Fretwell urged people to look out for signs a property was potentially being used for illegal activity and to report any concerns to police.

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