CANNABIS with a street value of £7,500 was found growing in a house and shed in Greenstead.

Police raided the property in Blackthorn Avenue and discovered 48 plants being cultivated in an upstairs bedroom and a shed.

The raid took place in front of startled neighbours yesterday.

Both growing areas had hydroponics equipment and lamps to help the drug plants grow.

The electricity was being bypassed and officers had to wait for the supply to be turned off and a check for booby traps before taking some of the plants for testing and destroying the rest.

The operation marks another major step in the battle against drugs in the town.

The police have made a series of drugs raids in the last six weeks.

Insp Adrian Dearsley said: “We are extremely pleased following another very positive result, which was possible thanks to community intelligence.

“We received information and carried out checks before obtaining a warrant.

“Nobody was in, so we had to break down the front door and enter to find two production sites. Up- stairs in a bedroom were about 36 plants and outside in a large shed within a zip-up tent were another 12.”

One neighbour living nearby, who asked not to be named, said: “I am not surprised it was happening, but did not know anything about it.

“We are totally against drugs, which just bring trouble. This is an isolated incident in what is normally a quiet road and it is a nice estate to live on. This could have happened anywhere.”

Another neighbour said he had seen bags being thrown over the gate a few months ago and thought it was compost, but now believed the contents were for the plants.

He added: “I don’t know who lived there. There was often loud music, but I have never been involved with them.”

Insp Dearsley added: “A lot of people live around here and the community does not want drug cultivation to take place on the estate.

“There are a number of other places where we have intelligence suggesting drug cultivation.

“We want to reassure people we are doing this to improve the quality of life for people living on the estate.”

l A man aged 44, from Colchester, was later arrested in Ipswich on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis and is being questioned by police.