Firefighters smoke out cannabis farm in city

Officers were amazed when they broke into a detached four-bedroom house in Cramond after getting the emergency call.

They found all the bedrooms and the loft stuffed with hundreds of plants capable of producing up to 150,000 worth of cannabis.

Firefighters alerted the police after being called to the ex-MoD property in Cramond Place at around 8.30am yesterday. Chief Inspector Paul Bullen of Lothian and Borders Police said: "The smell was very strong and when people smell something like that which they don't recognise they often automatically think it is a fire.

"There are approximately 500 plants but because they are at varying stages of growth it is difficult to place a value on them.

"The first floor and loft were used as growing areas and it did not appear anyone was living there at the time."

The electricity had been rigged up to bypass the meter and an overloaded plug for lighting and heating equipment may have contributed to the smoky smell but fire fighters found no fire at the property.

ScottishPower engineers were called to isolate the supply amid fears the lamps used to cultivate the plants could spark a blaze. The house is thought to have been rented by a Chinese man.

There has been a dramatic rise in the number of cannabis farms being discovered by police across Scotland in recent years. The increase has been blamed on Chinese, Vietnamese and Malaysian gangs moving north from London, the Midlands and Merseyside after being targeted by police.

Last week, around 500 cannabis plants were discovered crammed inside a house in Newtongrange, with the seizure valued at around 90,000 by police.

Cannabis farms need a sophisticated growing systems for the plants to flourish, with a typical "factory" involving feeders, lamps and ventilators costing around 15,000. With each plant capable of producing 300 worth of cannabis, it can be a lucrative business.

More than a dozen police investigators were called to the house, with one even having to knock soil off his boots at the front door as he left the property.

Neighbours were taken aback to learn of the discovery in the quiet residential street. One neighbour, who declined to give their name, said: "The curtains were permanently closed so we weren't sure if someone was living there.

"We saw the occasional car parked outside and the lights were on sometimes, but we weren't sure if the landlord just had them on a timer because we never saw anyone there."

A Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: "We received a call from someone on a mobile alerting us to a possible house fire. We forced entry to the property due to a smell of smoke." A police spokesman added: "Inquiries are now ongoing to trace those responsible for the cultivation."