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.
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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.
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“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.
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“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
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Pat Regan at the Fairfield Social Club – a brilliantly unhinged evening of standup comedy
Clementine Hall
There’s a particular kind of chaos that only Pat Regan can deliver, and the recently re-recognised Fairfield Social Club got the full force of it last night.
Making his Manchester debut as part of the ‘A Lovely Time’ series at the equally as lovely Fairfield Social Club, the New York comic, writer, and podcast host arrived with the energy of someone who had already lived through three emotional breakdowns before breakfast and somehow still had the worst to come.
Known for his work on HBO’s Hacks and the cult-favourite podcast Seek Treatment with fellow comic Catherine Cohen, Regan’s stand-up feels less like your traditional comedy set and more like being trapped in the world’s funniest group chat.
The perfectly intimate room beneath Fairfield’s railway arches was packed with adoring fans who were immediately on side as Regan launched into stories about traumatic trips to Paris, Grindr dates, massage tables and having crushes at the gym.
The audience was in the palm of his slightly sweaty hands (don’t worry, he’ll be fine with me saying so), laughing at every awkward punchline and self-deprecating anecdote.
The material is nothing groundbreaking, but this is what makes it so deeply hilarious; never before has shopping for the perfect pair of jeans been so serious and unserious at the same time.
There was laughter rolling through the venue for virtually the entire set, and after an hour of never-ending quips and jokes, we were left wanting more.
And the best part is, it won’t be long until we get more from this place, and it’s no wonder they’re starting to get the hosting plaudits they deserve.
It’s safe to say Fairfield Social Club has become one of Manchester’s most exciting homes for alternative comedy, and this felt like exactly the sort of booking that justifies its growing reputation.
By the time Regan left the stage, the audience looked equal parts exhausted and delighted. An absolutely classy evening indeed.
Find out about what else is on at the Fairfield Social Club HERE.
First-ever JD Wetherspoon pub to open at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
In news that we feel many Mancs and travellers all-round have been waiting on for a long time, the well-known British chain, JD Wetherspoon, will be opening its first-ever pub at Manchester Airport.
That’s right: soon that first airport pint of the holiday could actually be a relatively cheap one.
While Wetherspoons are no strangers to popping up in terminals across the UK and Ireland, they’ve never done so here in Manchester despite having three, yes THREE, in Gatwick alone.
Not for much longer, though, as soon T2 will be lending more than 3,000 square feet of its prime leisure and retail real estate to a new Greater Manchester ‘Spoons’.
Posting on social media, the airport wrote: “Wetherspoon comes to Manchester Airport this September! The pub will be located in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will have more than 300 seats.
“This will become the final major food and drink venue to open its doors as part of our decade-long £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2. It will be named ‘The Belle Vue’, in a nod to Manchester’s historic showground [now a sports complex and leisure hub].
“It was a focal point for social life in the city from the Victorian period up until 2020, when the final event was held at Belle Vue stadium. The design of the pub is inspired by the history of Belle Vue and the sporting culture of the North West of England. We look forward to welcoming you all in September!”
While a lot of money has been pumped into T2’s refurb as a whole over the past few years, it remains unclear just how much this particular new addition will cost; we do know that great sums were set aside for the launch of the Great Northern Market last year.
The inaugural Manchester Airport Spoons is just the latest in a series of major renovations.
As mentioned, the company already operate several up and down the country – 10 airport pubs, to be specific – but this will be the first in the North West.
Speaking on the news, JD Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said in a statement: “We are looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport. We believe our new pub will prove popular with travellers of all ages and be an asset to the new terminal.”
With Manchester Airport adding a dozen new routes to its roster this summer, you can expect to see even more people flying in and out than ever – no doubt having already polished off a cut-price pint or two beforehand.
Emily Sergeant -
19th October 2023 
