CANNABIS plants, which could produce drugs with a street value of thousands of pounds, have been seized in a Kidderminster police raid.

Early yesterday morning, officers recovered more than 100 mature plants, seedlings and growing equipment from a factory unit on the Churchfields Business Park in Clensmore Street, Kidderminster.

Det Sgt Tim Bower, of Kidderminster police, said police arrived to carry out an early morning raid at the premises but, when they arrived, they found a neighbouring factory unit was on fire.

"A large quantity of cannabis plants and growing equipment was recovered," he said.

"These were undamaged by the fire but are still being examined and valued," he added.

"A man and a woman from the Tenbury Wells area and a man from Kidderminster have been arrested on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis."

The police had found growing equipment, including watering troughs and lamps, at the raided premises.

The raid was part of an initiative called Operation Venus, as part of which a series of warrants are being executed.

Police are acting upon concerns raised at PACT - Partners and Communities Together - meetings and on information received, often via Crimestoppers.

Supt Steve Cullen said: "This is a high visibility operation and one which we hope will send a reassuring message to the public that the police are taking positive action against offenders."

Firefighters were called out to the fire, which is being treated as suspicious, at 2.25am and it is believed a stack of wooden pallets next to the units had been set alight and the fire spread.

Shelley Avenue resident, Kevan Ashmore, said: "The flames were at least 50 to 60 feet high. It sounded like bonfire night on a huge scale. There was a big explosion which lit up the sky."

Eight crews with 60 firefighters from Wyre Forest stations, including Kidderminster and across north Worcestershire, attended the scene.