POLICE officers used a saw to gain access to a locked-up restaurant and discovered a cannabis farm inside with plants valued more than £60,000.

The saw was used to cut through metal shutters at the Dusk till Dawn restaurant and wine bar in Ramsgate, Stockton.

A small crowd of passers-by stopped to watch the police operation which swung into action at about 3pm on Wednesday.

Cleveland Police said a drugs warrant had been executed at the premises and 100 cannabis plants subsequently recovered.

The force said no arrests had made at the restaurant address. The raid was part of two days worth of activity in the town involving Cleveland and Durham’s specialist operations unit and Stockton community drugs enforcement team.

It led to number of arrests and vehicle seizures elsewhere in the town for suspected offences including driving without insurance, driving without a licence and drug driving.