DRUG raids have uncovered two cannabis factories just streets apart in Gorse Hill as police fired a warning shot to dealers in the area this week.

On Wednesday warrants were executed at properties on Bright Street and Tiverton Road as officers acted on local intelligence, after which a woman in her 30s was questioned in relation to a small cannabis cultivation in an upstairs bedroom.

And yesterday officers targeted another property, on Malvern Road, and discovered a more ambitious factory spread across two rooms with more than 100 plants. A man in his 30s was found at the property and taken into police custody.

PC Stacey McGarry, community beat manager for Gorse Hill, said the raids had sent a deliberate message to the drugs trade in the area.

“It has been a very productive couple of days,” she said. “The plan is obviously to disrupt the supply of drugs in the Gorse Hill area, and we have acted on recent intelligence to be able to locate two cannabis factories on consecutive days.

“The first one was on Tiverton Road, and that was relatively small, within one upstairs bedroom. The house was being lived in at the time, and although nobody was in the property at the time we have now interviewed a female in her 30s. She has now been released on bail.

“Today, again on some brilliant intelligence from various sources, we have located in Malvern Road two upstairs bedrooms, which is a much larger set up. There were over 100 plants found in various growing stages, but it is too early to estimate value. A man in his 30s was in the property at the time and was taken into police custody.”

The two factories, despite being close together and found within the space of a day, are not being linked by police.

“The two set ups were considerably different, and we are not looking for anyone else in relation to the properties,” added PC McGarry. “I think it is just coincidence that these two have been raised at about the same time. I do not think they are in any way linked.

“With the other property, which was on Bright Street, we received enough intelligence to swear the warrant out at court, however we were unsuccessful in finding any quantity of drugs.

“But I do not see it as a failure, there is a lot of anti-social behaviour in that area, and even though it was a negative it has provided reassurance to the local community that we want to stop the anti-social behaviour as well as drugs usage.

“The properties are very cose together, and I am really pleased because I hope that this shows to the local community we are doing all we can to combat the drugs problem in the area.

“This is a message to all the drug dealers that as soon as anything happens we will be on to them straight away. Judging by the growing stages on Malvern Road it had only been there for a couple of months.”

If you have any information relating to these properties or have seen anything suspicious in your area call non-emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.