Residents in a rural part of north Essex saw police activity ramp up today as officers moved in on a disused building near a key junction.
The former pub, which has stood empty for some time, had attracted attention from neighbourhood teams following reports of suspicious activity.
Officers attended the site earlier in the day, prompting an investigation that is now ongoing.
It has since emerged that the operation uncovered a significant illegal drugs set-up.
Braintree neighbourhood officers discovered a cannabis grow containing around 420 plants inside an abandoned former pub in New England, near Sturmer.
The find included approximately 180 mature plants and 240 younger plants. All have been seized and will be destroyed.
https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/26111179.essex-police-destroy-large-cannabis-factory-former-pub/
