99 cannabis plants seized by police in East Sussex

Officers from East Sussex’s Tactical Enforcement Unit (TEU) gained entry to the former Brickmakers Arms in New Road, Ridgewood, Uckfield, on Tuesday April 25 following reports of suspicious activity from members of the public.

Inside, they found the cannabis plants, which were in the early stage of growth, alongside growing equipment.

Superintendent Till Sanderson said: “The site was previously found to be a cannabis factory in May 2021, which was disrupted, but members of the public thought it had started up again.

“It looks like we disrupted the grow at an early stage. The offenders had spent a considerable amount of time, effort and money in constructing the site which they have now thankfully lost.

“Cannabis is a harmful, banned substance and its cultivation, sale and distribution brings criminality to an area. It can lead to more serious crimes and goes hand-in-hand with violence, exploitation and addiction, sowing devastation among our communities.

“This operation proves that we will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of perpetrators, while working with our partners to address the root causes of this behaviour and safeguard those most at risk of harm.”