Cannabis farm found by staff at tyre centre

Water had leaked through from overhead and brought part of the ceiling down at the branch in The Mount, York, and when they went to find out why they found compost and boxes of desk fans.

The doorways were sealed with plastic sheets and when police were alerted and searched the property last July they found 387 cannabis plants growing with a street value estimated between 38,000-46,000.

Anthony Dunn, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday a number of people were arrested in or near the premises including Duc Van Tran, an illegal immigrant from Vietnam.

He told police he had been taken to the property three to four days earlier and promised around 300 to unload boxes. He said he knew cannabis plants were growing there but it was not part of his job to tend them.

Mr Dunn said it was then discovered Tran's fingerprints matched some found at another professionally operated cannabis factory discovered in Allerton, Bradford the previous year.

When Tran was arrested over the York factory he denied ever having been to Bradford but later admitted his guilt.

Tran, 36 admitted conspiracy to produce cannabis and was jailed for 20 months.

Taryn Turner, representing Tran, told the court he had sold up his home in Vietnam to fund his passage to the UK to try and build a better life. He had left his wife and two young children with her parents hoping to earn money to support them but had not found life as he expected it.