AROUND £500,000 worth of cannabis has been seized by police after they raided an old bank building in the early hours.

Officers carried out a drugs warrant at the former Bank of Scotland building on Worcester Street in Kidderminster town centre on Monday morning (November 25).

Kidderminster’s Neighbourhood Crime Fighting Team (NCFT) and Proactive CID carried out the raid after concerns were raised about the smell of cannabis coming from the building.

When officers entered the building, they found more than 650 cannabis plants, with an estimated street value of over £480,000.

Two men in their 30s were arrested at the scene on suspicion of the production of cannabis. They both remain in custody as further enquiries are carried out.

Detective Sergeant Kirsty Hill, from the North Worcestershire County Lines team, said: “This is a fantastic result which has seen us remove a significant quantity of cannabis from the streets.

“This was a sophisticated operation with specialist lighting and ventilation systems to maximise the number of class B drugs that could be cultivated. 

“These grows are often linked to serious and organised crime groups, human trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable people, and can present significant fire safety risks to the people in the surrounding area.

“This warrant sends a clear message, that we will not tolerate criminal activity within our communities, and we will act upon information provided by members of the public.”

West Mercia Police have reminded that the community can help officers by continuing to report any signs of criminal activity via their website.

They said the investigation forms part of Operation Target, which aims to tackle serious and organised crime.