A CANNABIS factory in Chipping Norton has been closed down following a morning raid by police yesterday.

The 10am raid on two static caravans at The Beeches mobile home park was part of the ongoing Operation Falcon and followed a tip-off from local residents.

Police found 60 cannabis plants of varying maturity and a large amount of dried cannabis ready for sale.

A man in his fifties was arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and was taken to Witney police station, where he has been kept in custody.

Det Sgt Howard Berry, who led the operation, said: "This was a compact but professional cultivation set up.

"Some believe drugs are solely an urban problem, but many people who live in the country are well aware this is far from the case. This operation followed intelligence supplied by local people and we would like to thank them for that.

"After the drugs warrants executed last week in the Wallingford area of Oxfordshire, this is further evidence that we are tackling rural drug issues with the seriousness they deserve."

Operation Falcon is a joint project by Thames Valley Police, Oxford City Council, health and social services, and other support agencies, including CANACT, the Crime and Nuisance Action Team.

It empowers residents to take action against drug crime with police acting on the community intelligence they receive. Neighbourhood Policing officers have been leafleting homes in the Rose Hill area about Operation Falcon and action taken against drug crime in the area.

Anyone with any information about this or any other incident can contact the Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.