A CANNABIS factory was uncovered above a tanning shop in Blackburn this morning.

Officers broke through the shutters of The UV Lounge, Bolton Road.

Bolton Road

Inside the premises, which had been closed for at least two weeks, were around 50 plants and signs of a recent harvest.

Police are considering whether part of the ‘ruse’ was to use the heat from the sunbeds to disguise the sophisticated set-up.

Detective Sergeant John Bailey said: “One line of inquiry we are looking into is whether the tanning shop was deliberately used to disguise the heat from cannabis cultivation.

“It is one possibility because the premises would already show up on any thermal imaging investigation.

“We are also looking into when the shop ceased to trade, whether customers were going in and out while it was being used for cannabis production. Because from the plants we found it was clear that they had been growing for a couple of months.”

Police said the upper flat where six tents full of the Class B plants were kept, was ‘very well ventilated’ through a sophisticated hydroponic system into the roofspace.

At the base of the stairs leading to the first floor, the boards had been taken away and a trap door inserted.

The occupants had dumped old stalks and harvested plants into the basement.

A 31-year-old Blackburn man arrested on suspicion of cannabis cultivation is understood to be a previous tenant.

Neighbourhood Policing Sgt Mark Cruise said the drug production would have links to organised crime in East Lancashire.

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