CANNABIS plants thought to be worth more than £40,000 have been seized following police raids in Gravesend.

Officers swooped on a pair of addresses in Cimba Wood and Romulus Road on Tuesday (April 30) to find more than 100 plants.

The first warrant was carried out in the morning and resulted in around 50 cannabis plants being found in a room.

It also led to the discovery of an electricity meter that had been bypassed through another causing the risk of a fire.

Detectives raided a property in Spencer Court, Romulus Road, that evening to find another cache of plants, thought to exceed 50.

Ian Edward McLaren, of Pimlico, London, was arrested and charged with the cultivation of cannabis, abstraction of electricity and possession of a weapon for discharge of noxious liquid or gas.

He will appear at Medway Magistrates’ Court on May 9.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Roger Harris, said: “Cannabis use has a detrimental effect on its users and on society in general.

“Its production funds other forms of illegal activity.

“Kent Police is still actively pursuing those who produce such drugs and we would ask anyone who suspects that a premises is being used for production of such drugs to contact us.

“In one of the premises, the electricity meter had been bypassed.

“This could have resulted in a fire and shows a flagrant disregard for the safety of others in the pursuit of illegal profit.”