TWO men have been arrested following a drugs raid at a town centre beauty salon.

Police executed a warrant at Princess Nails, in Blackburn, where they discovered around 100 suspected cannabis plants.

Officers were acting on intelligence from the public who had smelt what they believed to be cannabis nearby.

They searched the basement and the living quarters of the Preston New Road business. One woman who works in a nearby shop and asked to remain anonymous said: “The smell has been really bad, but when I came into work on Wednesday, it was really apparent.

“As soon as you come round the corner from Limbrick into Preston New Road, you can smell it. It is really strong.”

After searching the nail salon, police took away bags of evidence for analysis. A 29-year-old man from Blackburn was arrested on suspicion of being involved in the supply of cannabis.

A second man aged 24, was arrested on the same allegation and another of entering the UK without leave.

They were both being questioned by officers yesterday. PC Zain Ul-Haq, from Blackburn Police, said: “Cannabis cultivation feeds a multi-million pound black market in increasingly potent and dangerous cannabis, which can have lasting physical and mental health effects on users.

“It can also have such a negative effect on our communities, fuelling other crime, and instilling fear in our neighbourhoods and we are determined to tackle that.

“It is important that we work with communities to make sure that everyone knows what to look out for – from screened-off windows and unusual amounts of heat emanating from a property to signs of bypassing electricity meters.

“We need the public to continue to work with us to help us tackle drug crime by informing us of any suspicious activity.”

Anybody with information or concerns should call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.