Man arrested after police discover cannabis farm in Gipton

Officers from Team 1 Inner East Neighbourhood Policing Team executed a warrant in the Wykebeck Valley Road area.

Police found a cannabis farm and arrested a man.

A number of cannabis plants were also seized.

The investigation is ongoing.

A statement on West Yorkshire Police's Leeds East Facebook page read: "On Saturday 19th September 2020 Officers from Team 1 Inner East Neighbourhood Policing Team executed a warrant in the Wykebeck Valley Road area of Gipton, Leeds.

"Officers located a cannabis farm within the address, a male was arrested and a number of cannabis plants were seized.

"The investigation is on-going at this time.

"To report information in relation to the production and supply of drugs please call 101 or report online at."

This is what to do if you think your neighbours are smoking cannabis

Although some people think that it's perfectly legal if you're only smoking cannabis in your own home then you're sadly mistaken.

Cannabis is still a Class B drug and anyone caught in possession is committing an offence and will be dealt with by police.

South Yorkshire Police has said the force and its partners 'will continue to take action to improve the quality of life for communities who are affected'.

However, they have stressed that their best method of tackling the problem is by help from the public.

A police spokesperson said: "Local residents are often best placed to see on a daily basis whether their neighbours are behaving suspiciously and could be in possession of, cultivating or supplying drugs in their homes."

But, police have also stressed that your neighbours won't find out that you're the one who's tipped them off.

Officers will say they received a call about cannabis usage and may also use the tip-off as a starting point on areas they will patrol. If the officers then smell the cannabis themselves, they may knock on the door and tackle the problem themselves.

Crimestoppers have also said that people can contact them anonymously if they think their neighbours are smoking or cultivating cannabis near them. A spokesperson said: "If you spot any of the signs that there may be a cannabis farm in your community you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use our Anonymous Online Form.

"You will not be asked any personal details and neither your telephone number nor IP address will not be traced or recorded." However, if your neighbours rent their property, you can contact their landlord about this but are constraints as to what they can do.

A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police said: "If you own or let a property you need to be aware of your responsibility to ensure cannabis is not grown on your premises.

"Consequences of allowing cannabis cultivation include reduction in property values, increased insurance premiums, hostile tenants, and up to 14 years imprisonment and a criminal record."

If a landlord suspects the use of cannabis on their property, they can arrange a visit as long as they have warned their tenant they will be doing so. However, landlords are not bound to keep your tip-off anonymous like the police will do.

West Yorkshire Police Federation chairman Brian Booth said that the force has seen a rise in calls from neighbours reporting lockdown flouting in the area, as well as an increase in domestic abuse.

He added that cannabis is 'illegal, end of story', but that it 'probably wouldn't be a priority' if he was a sergeant out on the beat.

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