Structural fears halt drugs raid

Police are waiting to find out if a house is stable before they can begin examining a cannabis factory in two terraced houses in Northamptonshire.

Officers raided properties in Kettering which were being used as a cannabis farm, police said.

No arrests were made as nobody was in the houses in Montague Street.

Officers must wait until an engineer has assessed whether a third house in the terrace is structurally safe before they recover plants and equipment.

A police spokeswoman said: "We do not know if this house, which is an unoccupied property, is linked to the factory at this stage but we do not think there are any cannabis plants there.

"A structural engineer is going to visit the building shortly and if that building is structurally safe then we will begin to clear the two buildings that are being used as a cannabis factory."

The spokeswoman said a small section of pavement had been cordoned off because of the unstable house and an adjoining barber's shop had been asked to close.