A MAN who was running a £25,000 cannabis farm to pay off a drugs debt, has been jailed for 20 months.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Jay Dwyer, 40, was growing 64 plants in the cellar at his home. He was caught out when police walking past noticed a strong smell of cannabis.

Dwyer told police he owed money to 'bad men.’ The electricity meter had been by-passed.

Dwyer, of Livingstone Walk, Brierfield, admitted producing cannabis and abstracting electricity, in March.

David Macro, prosecuting, told the court the potential yield of the 64 plants, which were maturing, would have been about 2½kg of cannabis, which could have been worth £24,770 on the streets. He owned up straight away.

The defendant, who was smoking a joint with a friend when officers arrived, claimed he had been getting threats.

Richard Taylor, for Dwyer, said he had never breached any previous court orders and had always complied with them. The offence was at the bottom end of the scale.

The defendant and his family had been put under a lot of pressure by cocaine dealers.

The solicitor continued: "It was suggested that if he grew the cannabis, that would pay off the debt."