Lettings agents and landlords have been warned that the private rental market across the UK faces a surge in the number of properties being used as cannabis factories.

A Norethmaptonshire Police spokesperson has made the comments as the county begins a week of action to raise awareness among property professionals about the growing problem, which the force says is ‘a picture mirrored across the country’.

Letting agents are being advised how to spot a potential cannabis factory and what to do if they suspect it’s being used as one.

Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant Chris Stevens, says: “Cannabis factories blight local areas and have an impact on the neighbourhood in which they operate in.

“Anything that causes the local community a concern, causes us a concern too, and we want to bring landlords and letting agents on board to help us tackle this issue and make our neighbourhoods nicer places to live.

Detections

“This week of action aims to raise awareness among a group of people who are best placed to help us out with this issue of drugs factories, and I hope it increases awareness and leads to more detections as a result.”

Although most of the advice given by the police about how to spot a cannabis factory is obvious such as constantly blocked-up windows, high electricity bills, bright lamps and a sickly smell – the force says one lesser-known clue is that factories require large amounts of organic root material to be disposed of.

This is often left at the back of properties in plastic bags ready to be disposed of, says Northamptonshire Police.

Read how a cannabis farm cost one agency thousands.