A fully operational cannabis factory was found in a terraced house in Greenleys.

Police discovered more than 450 plants in the house in Haywards Croft during a raid on Friday morning.

The downstairs back room and all three upstairs bedrooms were packed with mature plants, while the bathroom had become the source of a makeshift irrigation system running through the first floor.

In the downstairs kitchen were a number of young plants, surrounding a mattress on which the male occupant had been sleeping. He was arrested at the scene soon after police forced the front door at about 8.30am.

Leading the team was Sgt David Johnston, who said the raid followed ongoing intelligence gathering. "I cannot over-emphasise the importance of community intelligence," he said.

In order to provide extra heat and light for the plants, a power system had been installed, bypassing the electricity meter.

PC Colin Prickett said: "Transformers with timers have been put in and electricity is being extracted directly from the grid, which is a crime in itself.

"The plants in this raid smell really strong. I've been on six or seven of these operations but I've never smelled anything this pungent. You can even smell it from outside.

"In terms of just one person being found in this house it is a very organised operation. All of the rooms have been used to cram in the most plants possible and from the mattress in the kitchen it appears the man has been staying in just the one room."

>> Yesterday (Monday) a police spokesman said 46-year-old Phuong Quang Nguyen was arrested at the scene and appeared before Milton Keynes magistrates where he was charged with production of cannabis.