Police find 150-plant cannabis factory following blaze in Cathays

South Wales Police officers remove evidence from property on Fairoak Road, Cathays, after fire

Fire crews stumbled upon a cannabis factory on the junction of a busy commuter route through inner-city Cardiff after they rushed to fight a blaze.

Inspector Andy Walbeoff, of South Wales Police, said some 150 plants were found within the three-storey building on the corner of Fairoak Road and Crwys Road.

One local councillor said the fire shows the danger of cannabis factories.

A community support officer stood guard outside the building – which includes a flat and a garage – that lies opposite of a library in the densely-populated student district of Cathays.

Police could be seen walking out of the building with filled brown paper bags.

Inspector Walbeoff said police were made aware of the fire in the building at around 12pm on Saturday, November 1.

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He said police would be continuing to investigate and that no arrests had yet been made.

He said: “We have located a small cannabis factory with approximately 150 plants.”

Chris Weaver, a Labour Cardiff Council councillor in the Cathays ward, said it isn’t the first time cannabis factories have been found in the area.

“I’m glad no one was injured,” he said.

“It shows the danger of these illegal factories and the police need to be vigilant about where they are.”

The fire had left the windows of an upstairs flat blackened.

And the door to the flat looked to have been smashed through, with mail and some furniture piled up outside.

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Fire investigation officers could be seen at the property on Sunday, which includes a garage were a community support officer was standing guard.

Three fire crews, from Cardiff Central fire station and Whitchurch, tackled the blaze on Saturday.

Three engines were called to the heavily-used junction at midday. Paramedics were seen at the scene although it was thought no-one was injured in the incident,

The fire had been put out by 2pm.

A spokesman for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: “We received a call at 12pm and sent three appliances to the house, which is on the junction of Whitchurch Road, Fairoak Road and Crwys Road, opposite Cathays Library.”

The incident caused disruption to the busy roads that intersect at the junction. NickdeFig on Twitter said traffic had been moving but slowly, with Fairoak Road blocked.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/police-find-150-plant-cannabis-factory-8036350 02/11/2014