Watch as police bust down door of cannabis factory with chainsaw and discover £2.7m of illicit drugs

Police video footage (click to play above) shows how officers cut their way through a metal fence and shutters before using a battering ram to gain access to the unit. A total of 2,739 mature cannabis plants were discovered inside along with several boxes of already cropped plants.

Officers also discovered a cannabis farm with 874 plants, worth an estimated £800,000, two days earlier in the nearby Woodside area of Telford.

The force said they executed the warrant after information was received about "unusual activity" taking place at the site. The arrested men were detained on suspicion of production of cannabis and remain in custody as further enquiries are carried out.

Three men, aged 27, 30, and 45, were arrested after officers swooped at the lock up in Hortonwood, Telford, Shrops., in the early hours of Friday (8/11).

Sergeant Matt Corfield, from Telford’s Neighbourhood Crime Fighting Team (NCFT), said: “Today’s warrant has again demonstrated the importance around sharing information, and how working alongside the community can help create a safer, more supportive environment for everyone.

“The open communication and commitment to solve local problems creates a sense of shared responsibility.

“Many illicit cannabis farms are controlled by serious and organised crime gangs, which often use violence, intimidation, and illegal activities to operate.

“These farms can be linked to human trafficking and forced labour, and more often than none use unsafe electrical setups to power lights and ventilation systems, which are a dangerous fire hazard.

“This warrant sends a clear message, that any piece of information we receive will be developed and acted on, and we will not stop.”