A DAD has been jailed for three years for running a £300,000 cannabis factory in Great Harwood. Paul Nuttall rented the property the Game Street, but was caught out after neighbours smelled an unusual smell coming from the house.

Police found 36 seedling plants were found which would have yeilded 1.44 kilos of cannabis skunk, worth as much as £300,000 on the streets, a court heard.

Nuttall, 44, of Victoria Road, Walton-le-Dale, had admitted two offences of producing cannabis and asked for one offence of cultivating cannabis to be taken into consideration at Preston Crown Court.

His son Marlon Matthews, 23, of Delaware Street, Preston, who had admitted one charge of producing cannabis, was given 12 months prison, suspended for two years and ordered to do two hundred hours unpaid work.

He had been involved in the events at Great Harwood by moving into the address for a period.

Roger Green, prosecuting, said the first offence covered a period from August 31, to November 8 in 2008.

In early November of that year, neighbours reported to the property owner that they could detect a strange and sweet smell coming from the premises. On going round to check, the owner also detected the same smell and thought there might be cannabis inside.

The police were informed and a search warrant executed there.

Officers found substantial quantities of cannabis plants growing in a hydroponic system in a 'cannabis factory'.

The second offence of producing canabis had involved a barn at Thornton Cleveleys, where 50 small cannabis plants were discovered. The Crown accepted the cannabis in that instance would have all been for his own personal use.

Ken Hind, defending Nuttall, said: "The defendant was a cog in a wheel. He was smoking as many as 15 to 20 spliffs a day. He deeply regrets what has happened."

Matthews had pleaded guilty on the basis that he had limited involvement in his offence and had acted under a degree of pressure from others.