A 27-year-old man has been jailed after he was caught tending a commercial cannabis farm at a house in Keighley.

Albanian national, Lorenzo Eshja, answered the door to police officers when they arrived at the address on North Dean Road on January 11 after receiving intelligence that cannabis was being grown there.

Prosecutor, Nicola Hoskins, told Bradford Crown Court today that Eshja was trying to ring someone when the officers asked to be admitted to the mid-terraced house.

They could smell cannabis and he allowed them to enter and search the property.

Eshja was living on the ground floor where there was a mattress and a fridge stocked with food.

Miss Hoskins said there were a total of 62 cannabis plants in the house, with evidence that new crops were being set up in two further rooms.

The farm comprised 23 plants in the cellar and 39 more in two of the bedrooms.

Eshja had the keys to the property but it was not rented in his name, the court was told.

He made no comment when questioned by the police but went on to plead guilty to pro-duction of cannabis on the basis that his role in the operation was that of a gardener.

Miss Hoskins said the drugs farm was a commercial set-up with evidence of a cyclical grow.

In mitigation, it was stated that Eshja had no previous convictions or cautions. He had worked at the cannabis farm out of necessity and had been held on remand in Leeds Prison since his arrest.

Recorder Mark McKone QC jailed him for six months.

He accepted that Eshja’s was a lesser role in the drugs operation. Although he had keys to the house, it wasn’t his home.

Recorder McKone ordered forfeiture and destruction of the cannabis plants and told Eshja: “The court has no say on how the immigration service will deal with you after this case.”