Cannabis lab raid prompts explosion warning
Northumbria PoliceA man has been arrested after a suspected "cannabis shatter" lab was discovered.
Police raided a property in the Concord area of Washington where they found an industrial oven, pressure cooker, hydraulic press, gas cannisters and four bags of cannabis.
It is believed they were being used to produce highly flammable cannabis oil used in vapes and cannabis sweets.
Northumbria Police, who arrested and bailed a man in his 40s, warned the production methods officers found can easily result in explosions and fires.
Shatter labs produce a highly-concentrated, honey-coloured cannabis oil or a thin, brittle substance which when broken shatters like glass.
Det Ch Insp Marc Michael said: "In the case of cannabis shatter we cannot stress strongly enough the danger that individuals are putting themselves and others in by producing drugs in this way.
"Doing something as simple as flicking a light switch or turning a fridge on or off can cause an ignition and lead to an explosion.
"The results can be catastrophic."