Residents have spoken of their shock after a large cannabis factory was dismantled by police. 

Officers raided the illegal operation in Bond Street on Friday following concerns raised by an electrical company.

Reports of nearby properties losing power raised the alarm.

The cannabis factory full of ‘a large number’ of plants was dismantled by officers on Monday after the scene was guarded over the weekend.

The news has been described as ‘horrible’ by some people in the area.

Daily Echo: Bond StreetBond Street (Image: Maya George, Newsquest)

Dianne, from Salon Supplies, said: "It's not very good, it's horrible.

"It surprises me it was on Bond Street as it's all industrial units."

But for fellow Bond Street worker David, the news does not come as a surprise at all.

He said: “I am not surprised by anything anymore these days.

“These kinds of events can happen anywhere, it doesn’t only happen in poorer places.”

A resident who works in the area added: "It is concerning. You see it all the time but don't expect it to happen near you."

The force confirmed no arrests have been made and enquiries continue.

The latest raid comes after at least nine cannabis factories were discovered by police in Southampton this year alone.

The illegal enterprises found in January and February 2023 had a combined value of £1.4m.

READ MORE: Police 'smash' more than 40 cannabis factories worth £7.9m

Pictures shared on social media show the extent of the illegal operation in Bond Street.

Bin bags full of cannabis plants were shown piled high in the back of a police van, while rows upon rows of plants inside the factory were also shared.

Daily Echo:

An earlier investigation by the Echo revealed that over 40 illegal operations have been dismantled in Southampton over 2022 and the first few months of this year.

This amounts to a staggering value of almost £8m.

Hampshire police recorded 635 cannabis production offences across the county between January 2019 and the end of 2022.

And some of these farms have been linked to human trafficking, properties destroyed by fire, and even a violent kidnapping.

Chief Inspector Marcus Kennedy said the force has 'smashed more cannabis factories in Southampton than anybody else.’ He said: “We're being really aggressive in dismantling them, more so than probably other parts of the county and neighbouring counties.

“If I make Southampton a non-comfortable place for people to come to grow their cannabis on [a] large scale, that's my job and I'm happy with that.”