Herts police have discovered and dismantled a cannabis factory containing more than 250 plants in Brookmans Park.

Following information from the public, officers from the police's Operational Support Group raided a house on Wednesday, March 10, in Brookmans Avenue - a road that had an average house price of £2,100,000 the last year according to RightMove.co.uk.

Inside the house, they found a total of 270 cannabis plants spread across five rooms – worth a street value of around £150,000.

Three white men made off from the house during the raid and - despite a thorough search of the area, with assistance from the police helicopter - they remain outstanding at this time.

An investigation has been launched and anyone with information is urged to contact police or speak to Crimestoppers anonymously.

Sergeant James Stopford, from the Welwyn Hatfield South Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “We’re pleased to have prevented these drugs from getting onto the streets and causing misery to lives.

“Cannabis factories are often linked to the exploitation of society’s most vulnerable. As well as it being deeply unpleasant for local neighbours, the factories can pose a fire hazard as they use large amounts of water and electricity which are often syphoned from other people’s supplies.

“We are doing everything we can to drive drug related crime out of the local area and the public can assist us by reporting any behaviour that seems to be suspicious, as soon as possible. Any information you provide, no matter how small, might be the missing piece of the jigsaw we need to apprehend an offender.”

You can report information online at herts.police.uk/report, speak to an operator in force communications room via online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact or call the non-emergency number 101.

Alternatively, you can stay 100 per cent anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.

If you have information about the cannabis factory in Brookmans Avenue, quote crime reference 41/17316/20 when you report it.