A CANNABIS farm was uncovered in a terraced house in a former colliery village after police suspicions arose over a car parked in the street outside, a court heard.

Police interest was drawn to the parked and unattended Audi Q8 in Eleventh Street, Horden, on April 23.

Durham Crown Court, sitting at Newcastle, was told that a short time later two men approached the car and placed something in the boot before driving away.

Ashleigh Leach, prosecuting, said police followed and indicated for the Audi to pull into a nearby filling station, where the vehicle and its occupants were searched.

One of the men had £435 in cash and notes, plus a recent shop receipt for plant pots and duct tape, neither of which was found in the car.

Having denied visiting the address in Eleventh Street, both men were allowed to leave, and at about 1.30pm police visited that house.

The door was answered by sole occupant Emirjan Grrica, who confirmed that cannabis was being cultivated at the property, before taking the officers upstairs, where two rooms were converted for the growth, with 45 plants recovered from one.

A ladder led to the loft space where a number of cultivated plants were hung over a washing line attached to the rafters, being dried by fans.

In all, 95 plants were recovered, either in a state of growth or fully mature.

Chemicals to aid the growth of the plants were recovered from the bathroom, while the electric meter was bypassed to allow free power supply.

Three mobile phones were seized from Grrica, who told police he slept on the sofa in the living room.

He was arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and made no response to questions.

Miss Leach said inquiries with immigration authorities confirmed Grrica, of Albanian origin, entered the country illegally but has no known convictions in this country.

The 29-year-old defendant admitted being concerned in production of a class B drug.

Martin Scarborough, mitigating, said Grrica has been in the UK for about a year, initially living in Birmingham, before coming to the North-East, where he was told there was “a job” awaiting him.

Mr Scarborough said the defendant had been at the house for about three weeks, tending to the plants, with the motivation of payment once the cultivated plants were collected.

Judge Ray Singh said “vast fortunes” can be made from production of cannabis and the defendant played a part by acting as gardener to the crops in that house.

Imposing a two-year prison sentence on the defendant, the judge told him that at the mid-point he would be released subject to licence restrictions, “in the event that you will remain in this country.”