A 42-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis after police forced their way into a house in Normacot, Stoke-on-Trent, and seized more than 80 plants, as first reported by the Stoke Sentinel.

Staffordshire Police said officers entered the property on Buccleuch Road on 4 November after receiving information about cannabis being grown there. The man, from Stoke-on-Trent, was arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis, a Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. He has not been charged, and the force said he remained in custody for questioning.

What neighbours saw

According to the Sentinel, neighbours on the terraced street noticed a number of marked police vehicles there on the afternoon of 4 November. A patrol car and a forensic van were still at the scene the following day.

Police statement

A spokeswoman for Staffordshire Police linked the operation to community concerns about drug dealing and drug-related anti-social behaviour in the city.

“We’re acting on your concerns over drug dealing and drug-related anti-social behaviour in Stoke-on-Trent.”

She added that the force was “listening, learning, and working with the community to proactively tackle the issues that matter most to you”.

The force has not said how the plants were being grown, what they may be worth, or whether any further arrests are expected.

Appeal for information

Staffordshire Police asked anyone with information about the case to call 101 and quote incident 528 of 4 November.

Growing cannabis is illegal in the UK without a Home Office licence. Under the 1971 Act, cannabis is a Class B drug, and cultivation is an offence that can be dealt with in court. A person arrested on suspicion of an offence is not accused of a crime until they are charged, and any decision on charges would follow the police investigation.