A large cannabis farm stretching over two floors has been found above a theatre in Newport city centre after its ceiling fell in. Staff at the Reality Theatre at Cambrian Road became concerned when they started smelling the cannabis in their premises and noticed a leak.
When part of the ceiling collapsed into the theatre space on September 30, staff at the theatre called locksmiths to try and gain access to the upstairs, which took them several hours due to the locks being deadbolted. Once they gained access they alerted the police to a possible cannabis farm inside the building.
Hours later officers arrived, but due to concerns over the structural safety of the building it was declared too dangerous to fully investigate at that stage. Police guarded the building for the following three days while builders replaced the floor.
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Police are still investigating the circumstances around the discovery. Locals believe those growing the plants had been accessing the site from the roof without the knowledge of anyone working in the building below.
A spokesperson for Gwent Police said: “A large cannabis cultivation was found at a property on Cambrian Road. This was discovered on the afternoon of Friday September 30. The building was initially deemed structurally unsafe to enter however hundreds of plants have now been removed and enquiries are ongoing.”
On Tuesday, October 25, the building went up for auction - still a mess with compost and pots on the top floors and a large hole in the Reality Theatre ceiling. Reality Theatre moved into the property on April 1, believing the floors above to be empty.
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