FOUR men are set to face a crown court judge after an alleged £79,000 cannabis operation was discovered at a farm in Burnley.

Anthony McArdle, 48, of Red Spar Road, Burnley, appeared before Pennine magistrates charged with permitting Lower Gibfield Farm, Crown Point Road, to be used for the production of cannabis and dishonestly obtaining electricity totalling £10,144 between January and July 2013.

Adam Slack, 34, of Hopwood Road, Middleton, Peter Connor, 47, of Lake View, Ashton Road, Failsworth, Manchester, and Carmine Schiavo, 36, also of Lake View, were accused of producing 3.977kg of cannabis over the same seven-month period.

All four were released on bail to appear at Burnley Crown Court on May 19.