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The number of cannabis farms found in Belfast is rising – with 50 discovered in the past year.

Police found 50 cannabis farms in 2014/15, up from 37, which was the highest number found in a year since 2011/12, when 24 were found, according to figures revealed under the Freedom of Information Act.

The number of cannabis farms found in East Belfast jumped from six in 2013/14 to 20 in 2014/15, the highest number found in any part of the city, while finds in North Belfast rose from 16 to 19.

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The lowest number of cannabis farms found was in West Belfast, where there were five in 2013/14, down from seven the year before.

Commercial cultivation of cannabis or a cannabis farm is defined as 25 or more plants, at any stage of growth, or any premises that has been adapted for the production of cannabis, with things like hydroponics systems, high intensity lighting, ventilation and with electricity meters bypassed.

In comparison, in 2014/15 officers at the 18 English and Welsh police forces that were able to provide figures said they found 1,252 cannabis farms. However, this was down more than a quarter (28.6%) from 1,825 in 2013/14 and more than two-fifths (43.3%) from their peak of 2,208 in 2011/12.

Across the forces that provided information, there were 6.8 cannabis farms for every 100,000 people in 2014/15.

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Figures from ACPO and those released under FOI suggest for these forces the numbers of cannabis farms found peaked in 2011/12, at 2,208 and numbers have been falling ever since, with the 2014/15 figures the lowest since 1,185 in 2008/09.

Other forces were able to provide information about the number of offences of producing cannabis they have recorded, which suggests a similar pattern of falling numbers.

The 24 forces providing information recorded 6,099 production of cannabis offences in 2014/15, down 12.3% from 6,958 in 2013/14 and a fifth (22%) from 7,828 in 2012/13.