Pot hotspots revealed: Police figures show where most cannabis grows have been uncovered in Lincolnshire and Rutland
The county’s cannabis cultivation capitals can be revealed.
Information regarding the number of cannabis grows uncovered across Lincolnshire and Rutland has been released by police following freedom of information requests.
Police busted a total of 51 marijuana factories in Lincolnshire in the first six months of 2024, while a breathtaking 403 grows have been uncovered in the county since 2020.
High profile recent cases include the former Indre Shop in Bridge End Road, Grantham, where police discovered more than 150 cannabis plants in an operation estimated to be worth up to £75,500, which was reported by an energy company tasked with disconnecting the property’s electricity meter.
Police also discovered a major cannabis grow in a bungalow which had been destroyed by fire in Pinchbeck in July.
City of Lincoln and Boston Borough are the real pot hotspots, together accounting for 48% of grows uncovered in the past four-and-a-half years.
Meanwhile, North Kesteven accounted for the fewest finds in Lincolnshire, with just seven (1.7%) in that time frame.
From January 1 to June 30 this year, West Lindsey has had the most number of cannabis grows raided, a total of 12.
Close behind were City of Lincoln and Boston Borough with 10 apiece.
Other grows busted in the first half of the year were: South Holland (8), East Lindsey (6) and South Kesteven (5).
Zero grows have been found in North Kesteven in the opening half of 2024, or the whole of 2023.
Since 2020 a quarter of the 403 grows have been uncovered in Lincoln, a total of 101.
Boston Borough accounted for 92 of the grows and West Lindsey 71.
During this period a further 53 were found in East Lindsey, 42 in South Holland, 37 in South Kesteven and 7 in North Kesteven.
Over the past five years, 2023 was the period where the most weed labs were raided by officers in the county, with a total of 120.
Thirty-five of those were in Boston Borough and 32 in the City of Lincoln.
Other grows were found in: West Lindsey (18), South Holland (16), East Lindsey (11), South Kesteven (8) and North Kesteven (0).
A total of 76 grows were uncovered in 2022: Boston (18), Lincoln (16), West Lindsey (14), South Holland (10), East Lindsey (9), South Kesteven (7) and North Kesteven (2).
In 2021 police raided 87 grows: Lincoln (19), West Lindsey (18), Boston (17), East Lindsey (16), South Kesteven (10), South Holland (4) and North Kesteven (3).
Sixty-nine grows were uncovered in 2020: Lincoln (24), Boston (12), East Lindsey (11), West Lindsey (9), South Kesteven (7), South Holland (4) and North Kesteven (2).
Lincolnshire Police also confirmed 16 out of force boundaries cases since 2020. These are cannabis grows that are reported to the county’s constabulary but are dealt with by other forces.
Leicestershire Police confirmed that since 2020 four cannabis grows had been uncovered in Rutland.
Two of these happened in 2020 and the other two both this year.
