A cannabis farm that’s believed to be worth more than £1 million has been seized during early-morning raids this week.
After gathering intel on a number of properties in the Oldham area, police obtained warrants at two addresses in the Greater Manchester town this week, and executed raids that lead to nearly 800 cannabis plants being seized.
A whopping 772 cannabis plants were discovered and seized by officers who first raided an address on Collett Street in the Derker area yesterday (18 October), according to Greater Manchester Police (GMP), before the team conducted a second warrant on at an address on Quail Street earlier today.
At the first property, two men aged in their 30s were arrested on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis, GMP has confirmed, then, at the second property, one male was detained inside the house on suspicion of the cultivation of cannabis.
These latest seizures brings the total street value of cannabis farms seized by the Oldham team in the past four weeks to over £4 million.
ADVERTISEMENT
Police in Oldham have seized a cannabis farm with nearly 800 plants worth more than £1 million / Credit: GMP
“Our work in the past month alone is testament to how well our officers are doing at rooting out this issue,” Chief Superintendent Phil Hutchinson from GMP’s Oldham District explained as he spoke on the seizures week.
“This is not a victimless crime.
ADVERTISEMENT
“There is a web of organised criminality behind these recent seizures, but thanks to the community, we were able to conduct this warrant today, which led to a huge discovery.”
GMP continues to urge the local Greater Manchester community to report any information and concerns they may have in relation to cannabis cultivation.
Calling on the public for their help, Neighbourhood Sergeant Lucy Leicester added: “We will continue to act on your intelligence and the information members of the public share with us is vital in our teams taking actions such as this.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Information from the public plays an incredibly important role in these warrants time and time again, so please let us know if you have any concerns about drug activity in your local area.”
#ARRESTS | Chief Inspector Phil Hutchinson and his team in Oldham uncovered a cannabis farm believed to be worth more than £1million this morning.
Two men aged in their 30s were arrested on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis.
GMP has also shared some information on how to spot potential cannabis farms.
If you’re curious to know whether a property near you is being used to cultivate the drug, then look out for a powerful distinctive sweet, sickly aroma, frequent visitors throughout the day and night, blacked-out windows, chinks of bright light throughout the night, birds gathering on the roof, particularly in cold weather, noise from fans, large amounts of rubbish including compost bags, and the electricity metre being tampered with.
“Individually, these activities may seem commonplace,” Sergeant Leicester said, “however, together they may indicate something more suspicious.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
Middleton to receive a cinema and Metrolink as part of regeneration plans
Thomas Melia
Greater Manchester town Middleton is about to undergo a huge facelift thanks to a new regeneration project, including a new cinema and Metrolink tram station.
Middleton is one of many bustling communities that make up the borough of Rochdale, and with these new plans, the town might receive a fair few new visitors who want to know what it’s all about.
The Greater Manchester town is undergoing a huge transformation with regeneration plans confirming that Middleton will receive a brand new cinema complex along with an extended Metrolink line as part of the Bee Network expansion covering this area.
This is all thanks to Middleton teaming up with the Mayor to launch the Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), which pushes forward regeneration plans for the town and future ideas.
Middleton Shopping Centre right in the heart of the town centre.Middleton Town Centre bustling as the markets take place.Credit: Steven Haslington (via Geograph)/@Rept0n1x (via Flickr)
The MDC considers lots of aspects of the town and even aims to create new homes and improve surrounding public spaces.
Middleton regeneration plans have been floated previously, but complications arose due to a lack of land and available funding, which ultimately brought these foundations to a halt.
Now it seems the green light has been lifted and Middleton is about to get a whole new facelift, which will not only improve the town economically but aesthetically too, along with the wider Rochdale region.
For many Middletonians, the idea of a cinema may have felt like a distant memory, with their last big screen location shutting down just over a decade ago.
This all-new high street regeneration will not only bring an array of shopping favourites back to the town centre but also the long-awaited return of a local cinema. Most importantly, the plans also include a slate of new housing, with an estimated 300 apartments set to be created in one building alone.
Early CGIs of the proposed Middleton regeneration plans.Grade II-listed Warwick Mill looks set to be turned into flats.Credit: Publicity Picture (supplied)
This all falls in line with the ‘Atom Valley scheme‘, which has been commissioned in order to generate over 20,000 job opportunities for people in Bury, Oldham and Rochdale.
The scheme also mentions how it aims to bring a combined economic boost of around £1 billion to these previously mentioned areas.
Rochdale Borough Council leader, Neil Emmott, said: “The development of 1.2 million square metres of employment space around the junction 19 area will help to generate 20,000 high-quality jobs and bring a £1 billion economic boost.”
Featured Image — Publicity Pictures (supplied via Rochdale Borough Council)
News
Scouting For Girls announce stacked UK tour with Manchester date
Thomas Melia
British boyband Scouting For Girls are heading out on an extensive UK tour with dates up and down the country, including right here in Manchester.
If the first thing that pops into your mind when you read this headline is “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know how we’ll make it through this”, then you’re on the right side of history.
Nearly 20 years since their single ‘She’s So Lovely’ reached catastrophic heights and had everyone putting on their best Roy Stride accent, Scouting For Girls are heading back on the road.
This UK tour announcement comes two years after their last project, The Place We Used To Meet, reached our ears and was coined by the band as “Our best work since our debut”.
It’s been 18 years since this Brit trio captivated our hearts with their eponymous debut album, which sold over one million copies and went number one on the UK official charts for two weeks.
Whether you know them for ‘Heartbeat’ or ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’, it’s clear to say this band had their fair share of smash hit singles throughout the noughties.
This tour, however, celebrates the sophomore follow-up: Everybody Wants To Be On TV, which went on to continue their legacy and secure them their only number one, ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’, back in 2010.
Now, the boys are treating UK fans to an array of live performances, and if you can’t make one date, fear not because there are 20 different locations for you to choose from.
The group will also be playing the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and a whole host of other Northern cities, so you have plenty of chances to catch them.
If you can’t wait all the way until March 2026 for your next Scouting For Girls fix, lead singer Stride has his own cameo account where you can get the star to read out a message or even sing you a song: “‘Michaela Strachan’ in full, please?…”
Scouting For Girls are coming to O2 Apollo in Manchester on 21 March 2026, with tickets going on sale next Friday, 2 May at 10am HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
19th October 2023 
