Officers have already closed down a cannabis factory in Commercial Street, Kirkstall, Leeds where a camera detected the heat given off by powerful lights used in growing the plants indoors.

In the raid by on the terrace house a cannabis cultivation system was discovered together with a substantial amount of the drug already batched for sale in large containers.

Officers scanned the property from the outside and the camera detected strong heat sources coming from the lower parts of the building.
They then put this evidence before magistrates and were granted a search warrant.

Officers forced entry and the search of the house took several hours. The cannabis cultivation system was seized.

The hand-held thermal imaging cameras are similar to those already used by the West Yorkshire Fire Service to locate sources of fire as well as people trapped or buried in debris.

Sgt Nathan Franklin said: "The results of the operation speak for themselves in that our continued efforts against drugs and graffiti issues in both the North West Inner and the Hyde Park ward areas will be greatly assisted by the new cameras.

"The cameras will be used to identify premises where cannabis is being grown and in assisting to identify and locate offenders in crime hotspots.

"This supports our wider purpose of working together with local residents, tackling the issues that are important to them, and acting on information gained from the community to make their Neighbourhoods safer."

Two people were arrested in the raid which was part of ongoing anti- drug use activity in the area. The previous evening a search warrant was executed in Burley and again a quantity of cannabis was seized and one arrest was made.

You can tip off police to suspicious activity by ringing 0845 6060606 or by clicking here. To give information anonymously regarding crime in your area, call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.

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