Lancashire Police discover cannabis farm at former Preston nightclub in Aqueduct Street
A cannabis farm was dismantled today after 3,000 plants were discovered inside a former nightclub.
Lancashire Police were at the scene in Aqueduct Street, Preston throughout the day as a team of officers dismantled the illegal grow.
The force said it responded to reports of ‘suspicious activity’ at the former Boiler House nightclub on Sunday. The nightclub has been closed since 2020.
It’s understood that a tip-off from the community led police to the club’s doors where they gained entry and made the discovery.
Another cannabis farm was uncovered across the road in June, hidden inside what appeared to be an empty building at the junction with Bold Street.
Officers at the scene were reluctant to talk about the latest drugs bust in Aqueduct Street, but those working in the area said they were “not surprised”.
One group of men, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal, said the drugs gang behind the cannabis farms are believed to be ‘Albanians’.
Speaking under anonymity, the men said they witnessed a brawl between members of two rival gangs last June outside the first cannabis farm.
“They don’t seem to care. They have no fear of the police or anyone,” said one of the men.
“When the first one got raided the other month - before police arrived - we watched them fighting with knives and machetes. This was in the road right outside the building and in the middle of a weekday morning.
“It took ages for the police to come. After the fight, one of the gangs came back and loaded as much cannabis into their van as they could and took off before police arrived.
“By the time police turned up they were gone with as much of the cannabis as they could carry.”
Drugs gangs 'posing as workmen' dig up roads
Lancashire Police said the electricity had been bypassed at both the June cannabis farm and the one discovered on Sunday.
Electricity North West were working at the scene in Aqueduct Street today where they were digging up two large holes in the pavement near the railway arches.
They were repairing the electrics which had been bypassed to enable the drugs gang to power the cannabis farm with free electricity.
The same men who witnessed the rival gangs fighting said they’d also seen ‘workmen’ digging up the street with machinery - but they suspect these were in fact members of the gangs themselves or those acting under its direction.
They said they wore hi-viz and drove Highways works vans as they parked up and brazenly began drilling through the road to reach the electrics underground.
“We’ve seen them on a Sunday, when it’s quiet. It only clicked after the first cannabis farm was raided. We’d seen them digging up the pavement and playing around with the electrics. We think they diverted the building’s electrics to a lamppost.
“They even had their own roller with them to fix the tarmac afterwards. They had ‘Highways’ stickers on their vehicles, but I doubt they were legit. It’s like they don’t really care if they get caught.
“It was right outside were police found the last cannabis farm and it was the same spot were the electricity company had to dig up the path and fix it.
“They’re dicing with death but there must be big money in it for them. In an area like this, where its all industry and garages, people don’t ask questions. You just keep your head down and crack on.”
Lancashire Police said 3,000 cannabis plants were discovered during Sunday’s bust and work is ongoing to dismantle the grow.
Officers in white forensics suits, gloves and masks were seen entering the former Boiler House nightclub today and loading bags stuffed with cannabis plants into a police van outside.
Lancashire Police has not said how much the grow might be worth, but it’s believed the street value of the 3,000 cannabis plants could be close to £1million.