There was a huge police presence on Wakefield Road in Stalybridge this morning (30 November) as officers from Ashton Police Station and the Tactical Aid Unit (TAU) joined forces to execute a warrant at a disused pub.

GMP had received intelligence from members of the local community suggesting there was a cannabis smell emanating from The Church pub on Wakefield Road.

TAU made entry to the property through a steel roller door, causing two men, who were inside the property, to flee. The men were arrested and taken into custody for questioning.

They discovered a huge cannabis farm of approximately 600 - 700 plants, spread over three floors (including the basement), at different stages of cultivation and saw makeshift designated rooms sealed off with black bin bags, housing young and more mature plants, as well as those ready to be harvested.

Throughout the building weaved an intricate web of ventilation pipes and lighting – and an ironic sign left over from the days the pub functioned as a business, telling patrons that there was ‘a zero drugs policy on these premises.’

Chief Inspector Claire Galt of Neighbourhoods and Partnerships in Tameside led the operation. She said: “I would personally like to thank the local community for coming forwards and making us aware of their concerns surrounding The Church pub.

“We are extremely pleased that this cannabis will not find its way onto the streets of Stalybridge or the wider community.

“The 600/700 plants, worth approximately £350k, will now be dismantled by the neighbourhood team, for everything to be taken into evidence.

“We would not have been able to achieve this without the help of the Tameside people and we want to let them know that we will always listen to them and act whenever appropriate.

“If you have any information regarding criminality in the Tameside area, then please dial 101 or contact the independent charity, Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.”

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