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These are the spectacular images of a ‘cannabis forest’ the size of a football pitch discovered by police in south west London.
Officers came across around 150 of the tall plants in Kingston upon Thames just a few streets away from university halls of residence and a sixth-form college on Thursday morning.
Images of marijuana were posted on Twitter by officers, with the photographs showing some of the class B plants standing at more than 6ft tall.
The Grove Safer Neighbourhood team wrote alongside the pictures: ‘An interesting find on Grove ward. We’re going on a bear hunt! #TheseAren’tXmasTrees #saynotodrugs.’
Two sergeants later tweeted: ‘Welcome to the leafy suburbs of Kingston!’
And Kingston Police’s official account added: ‘Called to a few cannabis plants. We found a forest!’
PC Sarah Henderson, of the Metropolitan Police, described the plants as ‘like a small forest of Christmas trees’.
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She said: ‘The area these plants were growing on was the size of a football pitch, it looked like a small forest of Christmas trees and was complete with a gazebo.
‘Whoever set this up used a really remote spot; the only way to get there was a 20 minute walk through wasteland.
‘But all their time, trouble and gardening skills will go unrewarded, as the whole lot will now be destroyed by police.’
The discovery in a residential area came after a member of the public said they had seen a small number of the plants.
A stone and marble wholesaler who lives nearby spoke of his surprise after learning that a cannabis forest was growing on his doorstep.
Matt Leary, 30, who works for Gerald Culliford Ltd, said: ‘I am very surprised. We are very much tucked away in the suburbs.
‘My boss hadn’t heard about it either. It is a bit of a concern. Our customers haven’t mentioned it.
‘It’s very shocking and I haven’t been aware of other serious crime in the area. Who knows where it came from.
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‘It could be linked to gang problems and that’s why it is a concern.’
A young Sikh woman, who did not wish to be named, said she was not completely surprised the cannabis had been discovered.
The woman, who lives in Surbiton, Kingston, said: ‘Of course it’s upsetting that this has been happening so near [to a] temple.
‘Obviously it is shocking to hear about but not completely surprising.
‘There are a few crime issues in this area and the temple has been broken in a few times since I have been attending.’
It is illegal in the UK to use cannabis as it is a class B drug.
The maximum sentence for supplying and producing cannabis is 14 years in prison plus an unlimited fine. Meanwhile, possession carries a maximum sentence of five years and an unlimited fine.
The drug, which used to be Class C, was reclassified in 2009, with the new law receiving criticism it was ‘illogical’.
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The Government recently revealed it has no plans to legalise cannabis or change its approach to its use as medicine.
The Metropolitan Police said no arrests had been made. The inquiry continues.
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Source: Dailymail
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