Man appears in court after cannabis farms found in Alnwick and Berwick

Shortly after 11.30am on Monday, January 8, Northumbria Police received a report of suspicious activity at a premises on Marygate in Berwick.

When officers attended the scene to carry out inquiries, they uncovered a suspected cannabis farm – which has since been dismantled.

Intelligence gathered from this discovery led to an officer on patrol raising suspicions about a separate premises on Fenkle Street in Alnwick.

Armed with thermal cameras, a team of officers attended and soon detected unusual levels of heat and decided to investigate further.

After entering the property, a second cannabis farm was uncovered just before 11.30pm on Wednesday, January 10.

Officers have now been able to destroy 295 plants at various stages of growth following the discovery of the two farms.

A man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of cannabis production.

Tran Dinh Thyong, 40, of no fixed abode, was charged with producing a controlled drug (cannabis) appeared at Mid and South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court on Friday, January 12.

He has been remanded in custody until his next appearance at Newcastle Crown Court in February.

Chief Inspector Phil McConville, of Northumbria Police, said: “This was an excellent example of frontline officers taking a proactive approach to follow up on suspicions when something does not seem quite right in the community.

“Farms such as these have the potential to generate cash, which could in turn be invested into organised crime.

“Members of the public are urged to remain vigilant and aid our efforts to root out this type of criminality.

“Landlords should also be vigilant with who might be renting or using their units and premises.

“Any information received could prove invaluable in helping to deliver justice against criminals operating in your area.”

Anyone with concerns about suspected criminality in their community is encouraged to contact police using the ‘Report’ tool of the Northumbria Police website or by calling 101. In an emergency, always ring 999.