HUNDREDS of cannabis plants have been seized in what is thought to be the biggest ever drugs factory haul in Beverley.

Police seized 719 cannabis plants, thought to have a street value of £95,000, in a raid on a terraced house in Norwood.

Police say whoever set up the factory had illegally accessed the electricity, which was described as a potential fire hazard and "very dangerous".

An electrician who was called to make the house safe told police he was surprised no one had been killed.

Inspector Mark Coulthard, who is in charge of neighbourhood policing in Beverley, said: "Clearly, this is a very large seizure of cannabis within Beverley, the biggest I have known.

"The most alarming part is the total disregard of safety for those people living nearby, bearing in mind these are terraced houses and the fire risk from this factory was immense."

Officers found cannabis plants across three floors of the house.

Five rooms were full of plants and a sixth room was being used as a nursery for the cannabis.

The bathroom was being used to store the chemicals required to cultivate the plants.

Only the kitchen was left clear.

It is understood police launched the investigation after an officer reported that he could smell cannabis in the area of the factory.

A 33-year-old Vietnamese man was arrested at the property when police executed the drugs warrant on Saturday morning.

PC Chris Matthews, who was part of the five-strong team involved in the raid, said: "It's the most substantial seizure we have had in Beverley.

"This was a growing facility and people don't want it on their doorsteps.

"This sends out a strong message that we will tackle this.

"We want drugs off the streets and we will take whatever action is needed to remove them."

Mark Nicholson, manager of the nearby Stuarts of Driffield fish and chip shop in Norwood, said people in the area were stunned as they watched police remove plants and equipment from the property.

He said: "We were quite amazed by it all really.

"People had just been oblivious to it, we had no idea whatsoever what had been going on there.

"One or two people were saying they had thought there had been squatters there and others said they had never seen or heard a thing.

"We presumed it was empty.

"You don't expect to have something like this so close to home.

"You don't expect it in Beverley. You are near enough to the countryside, it's not the big city."

Janet Morris, chairman of the area's St Mary's Residents' Association, said local residents were shocked to find there had been a cannabis factory on their doorstep.

She told the Mail: "Everyone is just in shock.

"I walk past that house seven days a week and I just didn't know anything about it.

"We are just totally gobsmacked that there was anything like this on our doorstep.

"But it's another cannabis factory shut down, which is brilliant news.

"We are just glad they have shut it."

Police say the property has a private landlord, whom they are now trying to trace.

A 33-year-old man, Long Trung Ngwyen, who is also understood to use the name Tong Bui Ngwyen, appeared before Beverley Magistrates on Monday charged with producing 719 cannabis plants, contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

He indicated a guilty plea and has been remanded in custody to appear at Hull Crown Court on April 12.

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