Police have issued a warning about the snow.
But it’s different to any warning you may have expected.
No, this one is not about how you need to stay safe when you’re out in cold weather and icy conditions, but about how the weather can be a sign of what might be going on in your neighbour’s house.
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Kingsbridge Police, who operate in Devon and Cornwall, issued a warning that you should look out for what your neighbour’s house looks like when there's a blanket of snow outside – and particularly what their roof looks life.
The southwest police force warned that if your neighbour’s roof looks clear of snow while all the other surrounding roofs are covered in the white stuff, you need to give them a call to come take a look.
Taking to their Facebook page to post an image of a group of terraced houses whose roofs are coated with a dusting of snow either side of a clear roof, Kingsbridge Police wrote: ‘If we are lucky enough to have some decent snow over the next few days, and if anybody notices a sight like this, can you let us know.’
https://www.facebook.com/KingsbridgePolice/photos/a.880473805315967/1985854111444592/?type=3&theater
It turns out this is because the lack of snow on the roof could be a sign that the inhabitants are growing cannabis inside their house.
During the winter, police in the UK have been known to keep an eye out for bare roofs by using helicopter patrols.
This is because cannabis needs to be grown in certain conditions that require heat, so cannabis ‘farmers’ will use a number of special heat lamps to keep their growing cannabis in the correct conditions.
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This heat will rise to the roof of the house, meaning that it is too hot for the snow to settle on.
Of course, if a roof looks clear of snow it doesn’t necessarily mean that your neighbours are up to anything illegal (they may just have very bad roof insulation), but it’s always good to keep an eye out just in case.
If you have spotted something suspicions, you can contact your local police on the non-emergency phone line by dialing 101.
