Hundreds of cannabis plants discovered in two houses

A man was arrested after police officers forced entry to a house and seized more than 200 cannabis plants.

Essex Police executed a warrant at a home in Eastwood, in Southend-on-Sea, at about 07:45 GMT on Thursday.

The force's Proactive Problem Solving Team discovered 211 mature plants in the back room, which was also filled with artificial light, fans and heaters.

Meanwhile, the force revealed detectives were searching for organised criminals after discovering more than 300 plants at a seafront property in Harwich last month.

During the raid in Southend, a man was arrested on suspicion of the production of a Class B drug and abstraction of electricity.

Officers then took away the plants to destroy them.

Sgt Alex Farr, who led the operation, said: "From the outside, this looked like a normal suburban house, but inside it was a very different story.

"It had been dangerously rewired and there are clear indications that this was the work of an organised criminal gang whose intention was to produce cannabis for the illegal market.

"My team are relentlessly pursuing these gangs as their profits fund more criminal activity.

"By shutting them down we are making the streets safer."

At the other end of the county, officers had carried out a raid at the home on Marine Parade in Dovercourt, Harwich, on 23 February.

Five separate rooms were being used to grow the plants.

They seized cannabis with a potential wholesale value of up to £115,000.

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