Police have uncovered a massive cannabis farm with thousands of plants estimated to be worth around £5 million in Stockport.
Neighbourhood officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Stockport district were alerted by the electricity board to the possible growing of cannabis on Lower Hillgate, located in the centre of the Greater Manchester town, at around 10am last Thursday (13 June).
When police attended the premises, they discovered a huge cannabis farm inside the large unoccupied building.
A whopping 3,325 plants were recovered, with an estimated street value of £5 million.
Following the seizing of the huge haul of cannabis plants, GMP says the area was subsequently assessed and made safe by professionals, before the dismantling and removal of the plants took place over the course of last Friday and Saturday (14 and 15 June).
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A police investigation has been opened, but at this time, no arrests have been made, and enquiries are “ongoing”, according to GMP.
Inspector Amreek Singh, from GMP’s Stockport district, said the uncovering of this cannabis farm is “a great find” for the neighbourhood team, and is appealing to the public to come forward with any information they may have that could assist enquiries.
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Lowe Hillgate in Stockport town centre, near to where the cannabis farm was uncovered / Credit: Google Maps
“Our neighbourhood team are committed to tackling the supply and distribution of illegal products throughout the town,” Inspector Singh explained.
“Cannabis farms on this scale can be linked to serious and organised crime gangs, and the drugs they sell have a significant adverse impact on our communities. It drives violence, and can lead to vulnerable people being exploited, as well as leading to numerous problems such as addiction and health issues.
“Our work has ensured that thousands of cannabis plants will not be hitting the streets.”
Anyone with any information about drugs supply in their area is asked to get in touch with their local GMP officers, and contact police either on 101, via the Live Chat function on gmp.police.uk, or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
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Phil Foden flying home from Euro 2024 for ‘birth of third child’
Danny Jones
Phil Foden has reportedly left the England camp and is said to be flying home to England temporarily from Euro 2024 for the birth of his third child.
The Manchester City and Three Lions star is thought to have already left the national team camp on Wednesday, 26 June following England’s 0-0 draw against Slovenia which saw top Group C.
It has now been clarified that his long-term partner Rebecca Cooke has given birth to their third child, according to the BBC. A dad’s got to have priorities.
The attacking midfielder has played as a left-sided forward in all of England‘s group fixtures thus far and looked to have had his brightest performance yet on Tuesday night.
The 24-year-old, who won Premier League Player of the Season for 23/24, looked to be struggling in the opening two games but nearly grabbed an assist in the final group fixture only for the move to be ultimately ruled out for offside.
It remains unclear how long Foden will be away from the rest of his England teammates but we’re just glad to hear it’s good news. Congratulations, Phil!
The couple have two children: two-year-old daughter True and first-born son Ronnie, five, who oddly went viral in South America last year and is already a bit of a footballing star himself.
With Gareth Southgate‘s side still yet to find any real momentum in the tournament, the squad, pundits and fans alike will still be hoping he can return as soon as possible if they are to gain the kind of attacking rhythm they are crying out for ahead of the knockouts.
England play their round of 16 match in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday at 5pm (GMT), though their opponents will only be confirmed following Wednesday’s final group games.
But for now, congrats again to the young couple – we wish them all the best as they welcome a new life into the world and look forward to seeing the local lad back on the pitch when he’s ready.
FA confirm date and kick-off time for 2024 Manchester derby Community Shield
Danny Jones
The FA has finally confirmed the date and scheduled kick-off time for the 2024 Community Shield between Manchester United and Manchester City.
It was only last month that we saw the second-ever Manchester derby FA Cup final in history play out and now we’ll see the two teams return to the capital in just over a month and a half for another clash.
Revealing the Community Shield details on Wednesday, this year’s game will take place at 3pm on Saturday, 10 August.
Best getting booking them train tickets, Manc.
This year’s Community Shield kick-off time will be identical to the last two FA Cups. (Credit: Ratchet8865 via Wikimedia Commons)
With Man City having won a record fourth Premier League in a row and Man United getting one over on the Blues against the odds in last season’s FA Cup final, the neighbours will take each other on for just the third time in the history of the Community Shield – United having prevailed in both of the previous.
The Red Devils have won the title a total of 17 times, while the Cityzens have lifted the pre-season trophy just six times.
Given the nature of the rivalry, the kick-off time comes as little surprise, with 3pm having been chosen for the start of the last two Manchester derbies at Wembley to aid with travel and crowd control.
Nevertheless, an increased police presence will once again be expected in London.
While featuring in the Community Shield has been a regular occurrence for City over the past few years, they have only won two under Pep Guardiola. Meanwhile, this will be Erik ten Hag’s first experience of the fixture and United haven’t taken part in it since they last won the FA Cup in the 2016/17 season.
The match will be televised live on ITV 1, ITVX, STV and STV Player, with comprehensive radio coverage from BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Manchester, BBC World Service, TalkSPORT and TalkSPORT International.
Although the allocations and further ticket information remain unclear, the FA said they will announce all of the important details “at the earliest opportunity”.
Emily Sergeant -
18th June 2024 
