West Mercia Police made the discovery on Friday (16 February) at the former Newport Advertiser print site in Newport, near Telford.

Police said the huge crop involved around 2,800 mature cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £2.5m, and that the number of plants could increase as the search of the unit is completed.

“There was also further evidence at the scene of a grow that had already been cropped, and that people may have been living there. The electricity within the building had also been tampered with,” said West Mercia Police in a statement.

Chief Inspector Richard Bailey commented: “Cannabis farms like to this are often linked to serious and organised crime gangs, the drugs they sell have a negative impact on our communities and can lead to other localised criminality. The cultivation of these crops can also lead to the harm and exploitation of vulnerable people.

“Shutting down this grow today shows we will not tolerate criminal activity within our communities.”

There was no-one in the building when the police gained entry following a report of a possible break-in.

No arrests had been made at the time of writing.