Burglar who raided Peterborough homes led police to £170,000 cannabis factory

A phone call from a member of the public about a suspected burglary in process led to the arrest of 21-year-old James Law and the discovery of a cannabis factory of 355 plants spanning 11 rooms.

Officers were deployed to Churchill Road in Wisbech after the call came in at about 1.40am on 23 August.

They arrived to find Law and a second man running from the house with what was believed to be cannabis plants. After a short foot chase, both men were arrested on suspicion of burglary.

The pair were later charged with burglary and Law, of no fixed address, was also charged with a further two burglaries in Clipston Walk and Flore Close, both in Peterborough in July, as well as theft of a Mercedes, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.

Law was already on court bail after being charged with conveying a list A article, namely cannabis, into prison earlier in the year.

He admitted the offences and was sentenced to a total of two years and six months in prison at Peterborough Crown Court on Tuesday (20 October). He has also been disqualified from driving for 27 months.

DC Tessa Munro, from the Acquisitive Crime Team, said: “Thanks to information received by a member of the public we were able to catch Law in the act. I would strongly urge people to report any suspicions to us as they are the eyes and ears of our communities when we can’t be everywhere.”

The 20-year-old man charged alongside Law awaits trial for two counts of burglary.