Police in North Yorkshire are warning landlords of the rise of cannabis farms and have put together a list of signs to watch out for.

This comes as a rise in cannabis farms have been reported across the county, and police are worried about risks, including the risk of fire.

An image the force shared shows a cannabis farm in Scarborough, which was swiftly dismantled.

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A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: “Cannabis farms are sophisticated set-ups used by organised crime gangs to produce several crops of the drug over time.

“Cannabis production is extremely harmful to communities, and often used to fund criminal gangs involved in human trafficking, sexual exploitation and the distribution of other drugs including cocaine and heroin.

“Furthermore, the electricity supply may have been tampered with (to by-pass the meter), creating a high risk of fire – which could spread to neighbouring properties.

“Residential and commercial premises could be used as cannabis farms, so today we’re issuing a warning to landlords to be vigilant around your properties.

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“Here are some of the possible signs to watch out for:

▫ Poor or no references from a previous letting agent

▫ Offering to pay several months in advance

▫ Preference to pay rent in cash without reasonable cause

▫ Wanting to keep utility bills in a landlord’s name

▫ Asking for complete privacy, requesting no periodic inspections or preventing the inspection of the property when given reasonable notice

▫ Changing locks to keep landlords and agents away from a property

“The cost of restoring a property if it’s been used as a cannabis farm is very high, and may fall to the landlord. This photograph shows a set-up we dismantled in Scarborough. Would you want to have to put this right?

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“If you have information about possible cannabis cultivation, please report it. You can contact us online via our website (click Report), or call 101 and speak to our Force Control Room. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Your report could be crucial in helping us shut down a cannabis farm in your community.”