NEIGHBOURS in Headington have expressed their shock after police discovered a £100,000 cannabis factory yards from their homes.

Officers forced their way into a semi-detached house in Headley Way on Monday and found four rooms packed with 264 two-feet tall cannabis plants.

They also found 140 seedlings, lighting systems, more than 40 power packs, irrigation tools and large plastic sheets used to cover the windows and keep out daylight.

Last night, Pc Chris Miles, of the Headington neighbourhood team, said he believed there could be another cannabis factory of a similar size in the area and urged residents to keep an eye out for tell-tale signs such as blacked-out windows.

Describing the set-up as “professional” Pc Miles said: “The more we do this the more they will think that they won’t do it here.”

Last night, residents said they had no idea such activity was going on on their doorstep.

One 28-year-old resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I didn’t see anything apart from the police. I thought someone had been killed. I saw all the police, I didn’t know what happened. I am shocked.”

Another neighbour, a 26-year-old student, said: “I’m quite shocked. I’ve never had any problems living round here.”

He added: “It’s good what the police are doing.”

Meanwhile, another neighbour, who also asked not to be named, said: “I’m not really surprised it goes on in Oxford.”

Pc Miles said his team had helped disrupt 12 cannabis factories in the past three years in Headington.

The biggest haul was in February 2008 when about £100,000 worth of plants were discovered in a home in Derwent Avenue, Headington.

Pc Miles said Monday’s factory was a similar size, with the drugs found worth up to £100,000.

He said: “The main thing is we have disrupted it. It’s a really good result. There could be another similar factory in Headington.

“We want residents to talk to us, even if they just tell us a house has always got their windows closed and we can do our own intelligence checks.”

  • A 16-year-old youth appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with cultivation of cannabis.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was remanded in custody and will appear via video link at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, June 3.