HUNDREDS of cannabis plants were seized in Halstead today. 

Officers, acting on information from the public, executed a warrant on Factory Lane West this morning.

They found a complex cultivation set up to grow 323 cannabis plants.

All of the cannabis plants were seized to be destroyed along with any paraphernalia used to grow the drugs.

Essex Police used an angle grinder to remove the door of property, which was part of an industrial sized unit which had been converted for the use of growing the plants.

Sergeant Tom Bastendorff said: “Warrant executions like these show that we will not tolerate those who supply and produce drugs in our communities.

“By taking drugs off the streets, we will have disrupted drug dealing, associated crime and we have showed others involved in drugs that thanks to intelligence from the public and our partners we will catch you. ”

Anyone with concerns about drug dealing or suspected cannabis cultivations is asked to contact police on 101. Alternatively, they can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 orwww.crimestoppers-uk.org