Norfolk Police have arrested two men after officers discovered a large-scale cannabis cultivation operation inside an unused hotel building in Great Yarmouth.
The force said it executed a warrant on Camperdown Road on the morning of Friday 17 July 2026, entering an abandoned hotel where cannabis was being grown across several floors.
What police found
Officers recovered approximately 225 cannabis plants at various stages of growth, spread throughout the disused building. Norfolk Police described the find as a significant cultivation set-up inside premises that were no longer in commercial use.
Images from the scene show a professionally equipped indoor grow room, with plants in pots under high-intensity lighting, ventilation equipment, and reflective wall coverings — a layout typical of commercial-scale illegal cultivation rather than small personal use.
Arrests and next steps
Two men in their 30s were arrested at the scene on suspicion of production of a controlled drug (cannabis cultivation).
Both were taken to Great Yarmouth Police Investigation Centre for questioning. At the time of the force’s announcement, they remained in custody.
Norfolk Police has not yet named the suspects or confirmed whether any further arrests are expected. Charges, if any, would be subject to Crown Prosecution Service review.
Local context
Great Yarmouth and the wider Norfolk coast have seen periodic enforcement action against cannabis farms in vacant commercial and residential properties. Empty hotels and unused industrial units are frequently targeted by organised growers because they offer large floorplates, existing power supplies, and limited day-to-day footfall.
Friday’s operation follows a warrant-led entry rather than a tip-off made public in advance, suggesting intelligence-led policing. The scale of the find — more than 200 plants — would typically be treated as a commercial cultivation case under UK law rather than personal use.
Developing story
This is a breaking news report based on Norfolk Police’s public statement. We will update this article if the force releases further details, including charges, court dates, or information about the property.
Anyone with information about drug cultivation in Norfolk is asked to contact Norfolk Police via 101 or through the force’s website at norfolk.police.uk. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Source: Norfolk Police public statement, 17 July 2026.
