A CANNABIS factory containing plants with an estimated street value of £500,000 has been discovered in Avonmouth.
Police found the 500 mature cannabis plants growing in disused commercial premises on Thursday evening, it emerged yesterday.
A police helicopter was scrambled to the area to conduct a search and a 29-year-old man was arrested.
The drugs were seized as part of Operation Viscount, which was set up to target cannabis production across the Avon and Somerset Constabulary area.
Paul Bunt, pictured right, head of the force's drugs strategy: said: "Officers continue to clamp down on cannabis across the force area. This seizure demonstrates that we are getting results.
"All of these plants have been destroyed and we will be seeking to place those responsible for their cultivation before the courts."
Police have warned people not to approach a house they are concerned could be a cannabis factory but instead to call them on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
Signs that a building is being used to grow the drug include windows that are permanently covered from the inside; people visiting at unusual times of the day or night; people visiting just to "maintain" the house but not live there, making only short daily or weekly calls; stuffed black bin bags or laundry bags being taken away; compost bags or gardening equipment left outside, usually behind the building; vents protruding through the roof or back window; strange, pungent smells; unusual noises from equipment such as cooling fans.
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