AN abandoned car dealership was secretly reopened as a shady business worth hundreds of thousands before cops swept in to shut it down.
Police were alerted to the illegal enterprise after they were tipped off by the energy company supplying the site.
Hamilton Car Sales had served the drivers of Northampton faithfully for nearly a decade when it closed in 2023.
The branch was established in 2014 and had attracted a four-star rating by the end.
Unfortunately, the franchise was left derelict last year and it now seems some new tenants have moved in.
Police raided the former showroom after being alerted to unusual energy usage in the building by its supplier.
Officers discovered that what was once Hamilton Car Sales had been converted by a criminal gang into a vast cannabis farm.
Do you know more about the case? Contact SunMotors on 020 7782 4100 or email jacob.jaffa@news.co.uk
Inside, they found 320 illegal plants being grown across the building’s five rooms, with an estimated street value in the hundreds of thousands.
The farm was closed down and is in the process of being processed and dismantled by forensic specialists.
There is no suggestion that Hamilton Car Sales was involved in the illegal use of its former site
Northamptonshire Police is now appealing for information and witnesses in relation to the case.
A spokesperson for the force said: “Shortly before 3.10pm on July 31, we received a report from energy company contractors about a cannabis grow at a business premises on Kingsley Park Terrace, Northampton.
“Officers attended and discovered a cannabis farm on the site, with more than 320 plants across five rooms.
“Forensic examinations are underway as we prepare to dismantle the grow.”
Anyone in possession of relevant information is asked to contact the force on 101, quoting reference 24000454893.
It comes after drivers were warned of a crafty parking scam affecting a number of holiday hotspots this summer.
