1M POUND HOUSE WITH 800,000 POUND OF CANNABIS IN POOL

Officers seized UKP800,000 worth of plants which had secretly
flourished in the drugs den.

The sophisticated factory operation included hydroponic lights for
soilless -cultivation, heaters and fans.

Wealthy neighbours had heard the humming of machinery but believed it
was an air-conditioning device.

Last night police were seeking two Chinese men and a woman who they
believe rented the property.

Officers made the find when a court official became suspicious after
visiting the house over an unpaid fine. He spotted a man fleeing into
a nearby field and alerted police.

Armed officers and sniffer dogs descended on the detached house in a
quiet country lane in Broughton, near Preston, at 11am on Monday. A
helicopter was scrambled to find the man but he escaped.

Chief Inspector James Lee of Lanca-shire Police said: "We have had
experienced search-trained officers working at the scene and they have
never seen a drug-cultivating operation like this in more than 20 years.

"We expect to recover somewhere in the region of 1,000 fully grown
plants which is likely to put this seizure, in terms of street value,
at between UKP700,000 and UKP800,000."

A shocked neighbour said: "We have seen two Chinese men but everyone
keeps themselves to themselves."

Police said the find was enough to "fill three garages". A 30-year-old
man was arrested at a separate address.

Last month a study by the DrugScope charity revealed that cannabis
farms were booming at suburban addresses after relaxation of the law
banning possession.