Detectives find thousands of cannabis plants growing inside an abandoned Woolworths

Police forced their way into a disused Woolworths and discovered 2,647 cannabis plants growing inside.

Officers were called to the store in Longton, Staffordshire after passers-by reported a strong smell wafting from the building.

Detectives smashed their way into the former shop and found it had been split into 14 rooms and decked out with bright lights to grow the bumper crop, StokeonTrentLive report .

Woolworths closed all stores 11 years ago (South Wales Evening Post archives)

In 2008, Woolworths announced the mass closure of its stores across the UK.

Gardener Thoan Hoang - who was caught red-handed inside the store in Longton, Staffordshire, on July 10 - has been jailed for 16 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Prosecutor Neil Ahuja said: “Entry was forced. Police discovered bright lights and a significant number of cannabis plants. The defendant walked into their view and was detained.

“Plasterboard had been used to create 14 rooms with a significant number of plants growing in 13 of them. In total there were 2,647 cannabis plants.”

Hoang, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis between July 4 and 11.

Thoan Hoang admitted producing cannabis (Staffordshire Police)

The 37-year-old told police he had been driven to the premises, locked inside and told to turn the electricity on and off.

But he says he did not know what the plants were, found the smell unbearable, and wanted to leave after being bitten by insects.

Darron Whitehead, mitigating, said the defendant entered the country illegally and had spent a lot of time paying off his trafficker.

This is what you can do if you think your neighbours are smoking cannabis

Mr Whitehead said: “He was brought to Stoke-on-Trent and effectively locked in this industrial unit.

“It plainly was not his operation. He was a gardener and did not enjoy it. He did not really understand that they were cannabis plants. It is another example of a young man trying to make a better life for himself and his family.

“His desire is to return home. He knows he is to be deported.”

Judge Paul Glenn said: “This was a professional operation with specialist lighting and ventilation."

He told the defendant: "When you enter the country illegally with no right to remain you make yourself vulnerable to exploitation.”