THE number of cannabis factories being set up in North Somerset is on the rise – as criminals move out of Bristol to more rural areas to grow their illegal crops.

In the past eight weeks, police have raided three cannabis factories and one cannabis-drying plant, taking drugs worth an estimated street value of £230,000 off the streets.

Officers say criminals are moving their drugs factories into the countryside and are finding more isolated properties – making it easy for them to set up drug dens unnoticed.

During the last two months officers from the North Somerset Safer, Stronger Neighbourhoods teams have raided properties at Barrow Gurney, Regil and Langford.

About 180 plants were seized during the raid at Langford and a further 120 plants at Regil.

On Tuesday officers executed a warrant at a three-bedroom detached property in Bridgwater Road, Barrow Gurney, and discovered 180 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £90,000.

The plants, which ranged from two weeks old to ready to harvest, were split between the rooms, with 100 plants downstairs and 80 upstairs.

A sophisticated hydroponics system – which allows plants to be grown using minerals and water, but no soil – estimated to have cost several thousand pounds to install, had been set up at the property.

The windows had been blacked out with industrial polythene sheets to keep the heat in and the electricity rerouted to access power via the mains and not through the meter at the house, which we understand was being rented to tenants by the owner.

No one was at the property when police raided it.

Officers were informed of suspicious activity at the house by a member of the public who noticed no snow lying on the roof during the cold weather.

When the force's helicopter went to investigate, police detected large levels of heat coming from the building.

This is the second raid in Barrow Gurney during the last week.

Last Thursday police raided a block of three stables at Barrow Hill where they discovered a cannabis drying factory.

It was the first ever to be discovered in North Somerset and is believed to be the only one detected in the whole of the force area.

Large nets of flowering heads from the cannabis plants – which are becoming increasingly popular with drug users because of their potency – were found hanging from racks in mesh bags.

A number of cannabis plants, with an estimated street value of £10,000 were also seized.

The cannabis heads, which weighed 2kg, are worth an estimated £14,000.

The middle stable had been blocked up and insulated with polythene and a power cable had been laid underground from a nearby electricity pole. A ventilation system had also been rigged up at the stables, using fans to dispel the pungent smell of the plants.

Barrow Gurney beat officer PC Jackie McDonald headed up the two village raids.

She described those behind the factories as "sophisticated, professional and organised operators".