As floodwater continues to impact areas of South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, some residents have taken desperate measures to protect their cannabis plants.
After police officers stopped a speeding van in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, they were surprised to discover it was filled with bin bags containing 25 mature cannabis plants. The street value of the cargo is believed to exceed £20,000.
Both the driver and the passenger took off across fields after being pulled over. The 26-year-old driver has since been arrested on suspicion of growing cannabis and supplying drugs. However, police are still on the look out for the second individual.
Following this initial find, officers visited a property in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, as part of their investigations and discovered the cellar had been flooded.
The floodwater had disrupted the electricity supply to the attic where the cannabis farmers had been growing their plants.
Officers discovered another cannabis plant which had been left behind at the property, as well as equipment used by the cannabis farmers to grow their stock.
Sergeant Tony Rungay said:
What started as a relatively routine vehicle stop led to the discovery of a large quantity of drugs.
The flooding has had a big impact on the town of Worksop, causing misery for a number of families who have had to leave their homes.
However, it appears it has also had the impact of flushing out some criminal activity by halting some large-scale cannabis production.
The van driver has reportedly since been questioned and released under investigation pending further enquiries, with police still looking to track down the runaway passenger.
The extreme flooding in Worksop has caused great misery for residents, with people having to be rescued from chest high waters which transformed the streets into fast-flowing rivers.
Twenty-five properties were evacuated, with people in 65 other properties opting to stay after being made aware of the risks, BBC News reports.
Unfortunately, some residents and businesses have been unable to get insurance after having been previously flooded in 2007.
On November 14, Bassetlaw District Council launched an emergency appeal to help those in flooded areas of the district, including Worksop, Retford and Shireoaks.
This appeal will assist residents whose homes and belongings have been affected by floodwater damage, the Worksop Guardian reports.
You can make a donation of your own here.
Enquiries are continuing into this incident, and those with information are urged to contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting incident number 946 of 10 November 2019.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.