Police raid hampered by cannabis farm's "prison bars" barrier

South Yorkshire Police carried out a warrant at the property last Wednesday morning.

Officers brought the battering ram — but found they had more trouble than usual in gaining entry.

A spokesperson for Rotherham South Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “In most circumstances, the ‘big red key’ does the trick.

“However, after the usual amount of hits did not result in the door falling to the ground, we realised that that there may be other forces at play.

“Imagine our surprise when we realised there were prison bars the other side of the door. Luckily, we like to prepare for every eventuality and grabbed the electric saw.”

The cutter made short work of the additional defences and the officers’ intel proved correct for the property on West Street, Thurcroft.

The spokesperson said: “We uncovered three rooms full of suspected cannabis plants. 

“The electricity had been dangerously bypassed, putting neighbouring properties at substantial risk.

“Once this had been made safe and scenes of crime had attended, we set about dismantling the set-up and seizing the plants.

“In total we recovered cannabis with an approximate value of over £30,000. An investigation is ongoing into the production of cannabis, possession of dangerous weapons and potential human trafficking.”