THREE men involved in a sophisticated cannabis growing operation at a Dudley warehouse unit have been locked up.

Stuart Clarkson, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court when police officers raided the rented unit they found 64 growing plants that were capable of producing over £170,000 of the controlled drug in a year and all the "trappings of a complicated drug producing set-up".

They discovered 55-year-old Stuart Pearce, the boss of K.S. Ltd, sub-let the unit because of financial problems and he turned a blind eye to the illegal operation.

Pearce, of Compton Court, Kinver, admitted allowing his premises to be used for the production of cannabis and he was jailed for 48 weeks.

Adam McNally, aged 36, of Meadowhill Drive, Stourbridge, and 37-year-old Stephen Smith, of Roman Road, Warley, both pleaded guilty to producing the class B drug.

Smith was put behind bars for 54 weeks while McNally was sent to prison for 45 weeks.

Mr Clarkson said the electricity supply to the unit had been by-passed to provide power for the heating and automatic watering equipment needed for the plants.

When police officers searched the home of plasterer Smith they recovered items similar to those found inside the rented unit while evidence from a string of telephone calls linked all three men.

Gurdeep Garcha, for Pearce, said his client had allowed his premises to be used because he was "driven by money troubles" and due to a downturn in work he had been unable to pay rent on the unit.