Is there a cannabis factory next door?

SUFFOLK: Are you living next door to a cannabis factory?

That is the question posed by a new countywide campaign to target gangs who are growing the drug.

The project aims to highlight the dangers of cannabis, the most widely used drug in Britain, with a series of activities across Suffolk, including awareness roadshows, coffee mornings and events involving young people.

It is now believed 90 per cent of cannabis is grown in the UK rather than imported.

“The campaign aims to draw attention to the increasing emergence of cannabis factories in the UK since 2004,” said a campaign spokeswoman.

“Police believe organised criminal gangs are responsible for the rise.

“Many are booby-trapped to keep out the police and rival gangs.

“The temperature within a factory gets very hot and rooms containing chemical fertilisers and pesticides can pose a potentially lethal fire risk to the building and neighbouring properties, especially as they are rarely occupied.”

Police says signs there could be a factory nearby include:

? Strong, pungent smell coming from a property

? Powerful lights being left on overnight

? Large numbers of bags of plant material being thrown away

? People visiting the property at odd times of day

The campaign - launched in Felixstowe with massive billboard posters - is being run by Community Safety Partnerships across Suffolk.

Police, NHS, Probation Service, Fire and Rescue service, Suffolk Drug and Alcohol team and councils, are encouraging the public to think about the short and long term effects of cannabis, particularly the potential impact on mental health.

Events include community safety team members travelling on Ipswich Buses on Tuesday to raise awareness about the drug and tell people how to recognise a cannabis factory, a Cannabis Awareness Stall on the Cornhill on the Thursday, and a coffee morning at the Iceni Project in Ipswich on Friday at 10am.