Police seize more than 1,000 cannabis plants from Corby factory

Police discovered the cannabis factory in two industrial units on South Folds Road yesterday because they could smell it as they were investigating a stolen car nearby.Officers have now secured the factory and cleared it out.

In a tweet, Kettering's plain clothes police team said: "Yesterday ended with the discovery of a large cannabis factory on Oakley Hay Ind Est, Corby.

"The scene was secured overnight and today we have been clearing it out.

"Huge operation, 1235 plants now bagged and ready for the incinerator."

An officer at the scene estimated that each plant would have been capable of producing £3,000 of cannabis per harvest.

The units had been leased in July and police said they thought the criminals would have had one harvest of cannabis before the site was discovered.

With 1,235 plants, that would mean a maximum value of £3.7m per harvest.

The officer said the plants could have been harvested four times a year, which would have given a maximum value of £14.8m from 1,235 plants.

The sophisticated operation had been set up in two industrial units across two floors.

The criminals had tampered with the mains electricity supply to fuel the lighting and other infrastructure set up in the factory.

There was even a bedroom, living space, and a shower.

The discovery of this factory is another success for Northamptonshire Police, who are focusing on finding these illegal set ups.A cannabis factory was found on Weldon Industrial Estate, Corby, in February where 1,000 plants were seized.

Another was found in Earlstrees Industrial estate in Edison Courtyard, off Brunel Road, Corby, in March.This was followed by Northamptonshire's largest ever cannabis factory in Kettering's former bingo hall, where 2,000 plants with a value of £2.8m were found.