Off-Duty Police Officer Discovers Cannabis Farm While Viewing Property For Sale
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An off-duty police discovered a cannabis farm while viewing a house for sale.
The officer was being shown around a property in Colchester, Essex, when they came across cannabis plants worth £20,000 in the garage.
Posting about the discovery on Facebook, Essex Police joked: "Things you would never hear Kirstie and Phil saying on Location Location Location.
"'Tip of the day: When trying to sell your house and your estate agent is bringing an off-duty police officer for a viewing, it's probably best you remove your cannabis grow from your garage...'"
The post continued: "Officers from the Colchester community team executed a warrant today at a house in the Colchester district after an off-duty officer viewed the house at the weekend and discovered a fairly large cannabis grow in the garage. #Neveroffduty.
"Officers found around £20,000 worth of cannabis plants growing in the garage and the occupant will be spoken to in relation to cannabis cultivation offences."
The post didn't specify whether the copper fancied buying the property or not. Minus the drugs, of course.
Last year, a property listing in Greater Manchester raised a few eyebrows as it was shared online complete with photos of a former cannabis farm that had been situated inside.
Images of the property shared on Rightmove showed one room filled with small plant pots, while the windows were covered with plastic.
Another showed a homemade ventilation shaft running through the property, which is situated in Hyde.
A note on the listing said: "Please note the original internal pictures used were historic."
James Ashworth, Director of Landwood Property Auctions, told The Sun: "We know this might look shocking to the average house buyer, but this is an end of the market that auctioneers and estate agents work in every day. It's just very rarely spoken about.
"Landwood Group is frequently asked by receivers to sell properties at auction like this.
"This property was formerly owned by a convicted criminal and it was being sold under Proceeds of Crime legislation in order to bring funds back into the public purse.
"Our online auctions in particular provide the quickest and most transparent route to achieve a sale.
"We are bound by the Consumer Protection Regulations 2008 to be completely transparent in all listings, words and pictures.
"This is so any potential buyer knows exactly what they are purchasing from us. It also helps place the guide price in context.
"Like all good estate agents, Landwood Group takes a common sense approach to such listings and we aim to give potential buyers the information they need to make an informed decision."
