A HEADTEACHER today spoke of his shock after police swooped on a cannabis factory just 100 yards from his primary school.

The raid on the premises in Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, was executed as part of Lancashire Constabulary's Safer Streets Initiative under which police have pledged to carry out a raid a day on suspected drug dealers across East Lancashire.

More than a 100 plants were seized after police swooped on the disused shop in Clayton-le-Moors at 8.30am yesterday.

They remained for three and a half hours, transporting plants and hydroponic equipment used for the cultivation of the class B drug.

Tony Gallagher, headteacher of nearby St Mary's Primary School, in Devonshire Drive, said: "I am not aware of a lot of the facts about drugs in the Clayton-le-Moors area and couldn't say how bad it is.

"But if things like this are happening close to the school then it is a concern. I know it is a fact of life that this sort of thing goes on but our concern is that people may try to influence our children.

"If the police are keeping an eye on things, as I believe they are, they have our backing." Detective Sergeant Simon Giles, of Accrington CID, said equipment including a ventilation system, irrigation system, specialist strip lighting, fans and dehumidifiers were seized from the property.

He said: "In terms of cannabis, this is quite a good haul and we are satisfied with the way the operation has gone. Generally speaking, people grow it from seeds and can get the instructions on how to do it from the internet. It's not rocket science.

"But cannabis production is a serious offence and we are pursuing every lead we have to identify suppliers."

The Safer Streets in Lancashire campaign aims to bring criminal justice and public sector organisations together to bring about a long-term solution to the root causes and problems of street and drug-related crime.

A 39-year-old man from Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, will appear before Hyndburn Magistrates later this week charged with cultivation of cannabis and being concerned with the supply of controlled drugs.