A cannabis “forest” has been discovered by police officers in a leafy borough of south-west London.
Images of up to 150 marijuana plants growing on scrubland were posted on social media by Kingston police after officers from the leafy borough were called to Lower Marsh Lane shortly before noon yesterday.
Large numbers of plants of the class B drug were found in the residential area, a few streets away from a university halls of residence and a sixth-form college as well as a fitness centre and Berrylands train station.
Some of the plants have grown to a height of five feet, making them nearly as tall as the officers who made the discovery.
Kingston Police called to a few cannabis plants. We found a forest!#CannabisTrees #TheseArentXmasTrees #WeedKiller pic.twitter.com/TfNyFZF9Ft
— Kingston Police (@MPSKingston) September 25, 2015
Pcs Garcha and Burgess from Kingston’s Grove ward had been called by a member of the public to reports of a small number of cannabis plants.
Along with the hashtag #saynotodrugs, a police-run Twitter account for the area posted: “An interesting find on Grove ward. We’re going on a bear hunt.”
In response two local police sergeants tweeted: “Welcome to the leafy suburbs of Kingston!”
Kingston Police’s official account later added: “[We were] called to a few cannabis plants. We found a forest!”
Officers have now secured the area and set about tracing those responsible, police said.
Kingston’s Pc Sarah Henderson said: “The area these plants were growing on was the size of a football pitch, it looked like a small forest of Christmas trees and was complete with a gazebo.
“Whoever set this up used a really remote spot – the only way to get there was a 20 minute walk through wasteland.
“But all their time, trouble and gardening skills will go unrewarded, as the whole lot will now be destroyed by police.”
Agencies/Canadajournal