MORE cannabis farms have been discovered in Bradford than any other area of West Yorkshire, according to recent figures, with 38 per cent of all the area’s grows found in the district.

A recent police report into drugs and alcohol related crime in the area revealed the disproportionately high numbers of such farms in Bradford – one of the five districts that make up West Yorkshire.

The report detailed disturbing trends in the local drug trade, from vulnerable adults having their homes taken over by drug gangs to cannabis-laced sweets being advertised on social media.

The document went before a recent meeting of the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel, and as well as giving detail on the scale of the issue also revealed the changing tactics and backgrounds of the criminals in the drug trade.

Referring to cannabis farms, the report said: “There has been a significant increase in the year 2020/21 of cannabis productions recorded.”

It goes on to say Bradford had the highest level of illegal grows in this period.

When the Telegraph & Argus asked police what proportion of West Yorkshire’s cannabis grows were found in our district, a police spokesperson said most recent figures suggested around 38 per cent were in Bradford.

The panel heard that most recent figures show that 26 per cent of suspects linked to cannabis grows in West Yorkshire are foreign nationals.

Late last year, West Yorkshire Police revealed it had dismantled over 1,000 cannabis grows in the previous 12 months.

The issue of cannabis farms in Bradford was recently given national attention in the Bradford On Duty TV series.

Episode two of the series included scenes of police dismantling a multi-million pound cannabis farm in a derelict mill.

Although Bradford was a hotspot for cannabis grows, Leeds city centre is West Yorkshire’s hotspot for recreational drugs like MDMA, LSD, Ketamine and Amphetamine. The report says: “This is possibly due to the high concentration of night-time economy venues in the area.”

The panel were also told about the increase in “county lines” gangs in West Yorkshire and their involvement in the drugs trade.

Such gangs often exploit vulnerable people to travel to other cities and smaller towns to deal drugs.

One aspect of county lines is “cuckcooing” – where gangs use the homes of vulnerable people to store their drugs or firearms.

The report to the crime panel said 91 cuckooed addresses were identified by West Yorkshire Police last year.

Leeds was the area with the most cuckooed individuals followed by Kirklees and Bradford.

Criminals from the “Western Balkan” area, which includes Albania, Kosovo and Serbia, are becoming increasingly involved in the West Yorkshire drug supply – the report reveals.

It adds: “Western Balkan nominals, particularly Albanians, are a significant minority within the cannabis production market and are increasingly so over the last few years. This trend is not only noted in West Yorkshire, but nationally and internationally.”

In the past year a number of Albanian nationals have appeared in Bradford courts charged with running or working in cannabis farms in the city.

Another trend identified in the report is the sale of “cannabis infused edibles” online.

Last year, two Bradford children fell ill after taking sweets laced with THC, the psychoactive part of cannabis.

The report said there were 47 arrests last year related to edibles.

It adds: “Cannabis edibles are available to purchase online via social media and there are videos on popular apps such as TikTok which show the viewer how to make edibles themselves.

“Their presence on social media, coupled with bright packaging and the adaptation of popular brand names makes them particularly popular amongst young people.”

The report concludes: “The Force understands the link between addiction and offending and continues to work with partners and offenders to provide the support individuals need to make positive changes to their lives.

“They are responsive to external factors that affect drugs supply and can adapt the Policing tactics locally, nationally, and internationally to effectively disrupt and arrest offenders.

“Through training, they can make staff aware of new and emerging drugs of preference so that they can identify activity and take positive action within their communities to reduce crime, protect vulnerable people and reassure the public.”

The panel were also told that the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s Safer Communities Fund recently provided funding to drugs and alcohol projects worth £62,468.