A MAN who set up a sophisticated cannabis farm at his home that yielded £20,000 worth of the drug has been jailed for nine months.

Malcolm Johnson, 32, even hacked into the power supply in an attempt to keep his electricity bills from the venture down.

Teesside Crown Court heard that he told police he learned to grow the plants by reading a book on the subject.

Robin Turton, prosecuting, said officers raided his home in West Chilton Terrace, Chilton, County Durham, on October 24 last year.

In a loft bedroom, they found 61 cannabis plants, and in another room, there were 40 plants and eight cuttings.

They recovered 5.6kg of cannabis skunk -the strongest form of the drug -worth about £20,000.

Mr Turton said the cannabis farm used hydroponic lights, an irrigation system, a thermostat control and heating and air ducts.

Johnson said the farm had only been in operation for two months, but the Crown's case was that it had been in existence for up to six months.

The court heard that Johnson had damaged an electricity meter and had taken about £300 worth of electricity in order to "keep the bills down". When questioned by police, he said the farm had cost £2,500 to set up, and said it was only by chance that it had been so successful.

He also said the cannabis skunk was for his use, telling police: "I was going to smoke some and bin the rest."

Johnson pleaded guilty to producing a class C drug, possession of cannabis and the abstraction of electricity.

He had four previous convictions for drug-related offences, including possession of ecstasy and cannabis.

The judge, Recorder Felicity Davies, described the cannabis farm as a sophisticated operation and said Johnson's offending was so serious that he had to go to jail.

He was jailed for nine months, and the drugs were ordered to be destroyed.