A CANNABIS farm which could have generated almost £10,000 of profit was found in an attic.

Officers found 16 plants in the the house on Shirley Close, Evenwood, near Bishop Auckland, belonging to father-of-three Francis Alexander Hammond.

Appearing before Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court, the 44-year-old pleaded guilty to producing the controlled class B drug and another charge of using electricity without authority.

Sarah Traynor, prosecuting, said when police went to the house on October 4 last year they discovered £1,110 in cash, a ventilation system, heat lamps and a "complicated electric wiring system" bypassing the electricity meter.

A payment of £2,400 in electricity bills was owed to British Gas as a result.

The court heard it was believed at maturity the plants would have a street value of between £3,400 and £9,600.

Tom Morgan, mitigating, said Hammond was producing the drugs for personal use.

A probation officer told the court he was smoking five to six joints a day but had stopped.

Hammond was given a 12 month supervision order with a requirement to carry out nine rehabilitation activity days.

He was ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £60 victim surcharge.