Cops on Marijuana Raid Find Only Guinea Pigs

'Hot spot' was caused by pets' heater, not grow lights
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 13, 2011 4:32 PM CST
Updated Jan 16, 2011 4:30 PM CST
Cops on Marijuana Raid Find Only Guinea Pigs
A Peru Guinea Pig, dressed as Santa Claus, is displayed during a Guinea Pig feast in Callao, Monday, Dec. 15, 2008.   (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)

UK cops thought they'd found the marijuana mother lode—infrared scanners on a helicopter indicated a large, concentrated use of electricity in a house located in the West Yorkshire town of Odsal. The heat signature screamed pot nursery, but when police arrived, they found the last thing they expected: guinea pigs.

A local elementary-school teacher who lives in the house said she received a call at work. "The police came on the phone and said: 'We think you're growing cannabis in your garage,' she told the BBC. "I said: 'No, it's a heater to keep my guinea pigs warm because it's been so cold.'" Police later apologized for the mix-up. (More guinea pig stories.)

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