LONDON (Reuters) – The first cannabis farm was found in London’s historic financial district, where office buildings were emptied due to the blockade to contain the spread of COVID-19, British police said on Wednesday.
City of London police said 826 cannabis plants were found in a building near the Bank of England. Police said there were reports of a “strong cannabis odor” that led to the raid.
“This is the first cannabis factory in the city, no doubt, being set up in response to fewer people outside the pandemic who could have noticed any unusual activity,” police said in a statement.
The city of London, which is home to the world’s largest commercial insurance market, banks and fund managers, has been largely deserted since March, after most employees were asked to work from home.
During an online event on Wednesday, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said people were likely to make jokes about what central bank staff had done.
“We will now be the subject of endless jokes about ‘now we know what the Bank of England has done,'” he said. “I am sure there will be many other jokes. I would say it is very quiet around the Bank of England. ”
Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; Mountain by Paul Simao