POLICE discovered a cannabis farm after receiving reports of suspicious activity near a Richmondshire village this week.

Members of the local community in Hunton, near Leyburn, became suspicious when a disused barn near the village began to get an influx of visitors and vehicles.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police: “This was reported to the police and yesterday Catterick neighbourhood policing team visited the barn to find a very well-set up cannabis grow in its early stages of cultivation.

“Needless to say, these plants won’t be growing anymore.”

Local Inspector Mark Gee added: “We’re very grateful to the local community who reported their concerns and as a result we were able to act quickly and dismantle this operation.

“Often those involved in the actual cultivation and set up on the ground can be vulnerable and may be exploited by organised crime groups so putting a stop to these types of operations has a far wider reaching impact than simply stopping drugs from becoming available in our communities.

“Everyone can play their part by remaining vigilant and reporting any suspicious behaviour to the police so that we can take action.”

If you have any information regarding this location or any other suspected drugs activity then please call 101 and report it.

If you wish to remain anonymous you can call Crimestoppers on: 0800 555 111.