Hampshire Police have launched an investigation after discovering a large cannabis factory at a house in Farnborough.

Officers from the Hart and Rushmoor Priority Crime Team, supported by the Neighbourhood Enforcement Team, Criminal Investigation Department and District Policing Team, executed a warrant at a property in Field Road on Monday, December 12.

Inside the residential address, officers found more than 350 cannabis plants at various stages of growth. No one was inside the property at the time.

Police remained at the scene while engineers from SSE made the electrics safe after it was discovered the electrical supply had been dangerously bypassed. Enquiries are ongoing.

Officers warned that large-scale cannabis production is often linked to organised crime gangs and can pose serious risks to the public, including violence and significant fire hazards to neighbouring homes.

Acting Police Sergeant Daniel Eaves, of Hart & Rushmoor’s Priority Crime Team, said: “We know some people think it is just a bit of cannabis, but we want to stress that any production of drugs is linked to hidden harm.

“In this instance it appears that the electrical supply had been bypassed in a dangerous way and a specialist team was required to ensure the electrics were made fully safe.

“For these reasons and many more, it’s not just cannabis – it’s linked to serious criminality and serious harm which we are not going to ignore.

“We encourage people to please continue to report suspicious behaviour and suspected drug dealing in your neighbourhood to police, as the information you provide helps us develop the bigger picture that leads us to take action and remove drugs from the streets.”

Anyone with information can contact police on 101 or report online, quoting reference 44250559008. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.