A Bradford cannabis farm had a festive look about it with Christmas lights in the window when the police arrived to bust it.

Aleksandr Puskariov was being paid £8,000 to look after the 87-plant crop in Pasture Side Terrace West, Clayton, as well as having the use of a car, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

The 26-year-old, who was arrested at the house, pleaded guilty to production of cannabis on January 17.

Prosecutor Clare Walsh said he had stated that he was acting under the direction of others at the farm. He was offered accommodation there and the use of the vehicle in return for acting as a gardener. He also expected to be paid £8,000 at the conclusion of the grow.

Mrs Walsh said the police went to the address at 7.40am to find Christmas lights in the window and a tidy garden. There was no response when they knocked but a male could briefly be seen at the ground floor window. Entry was forced and Puskariov was apprehended.

The front door was reinforced by a second door. The defendant had a key to the property and money in his wallet.

There were 87 cannabis plants of various sizes in three grow rooms on the first and second floors. The electricity meter had been bypassed and there was significant fire damage around it, Mrs Walsh said.

There was a large water butt and fans and lights. Puskariov’s fingerprints were found on growing equipment.

The estimated yield of the crop was 4.79 kilos. Its wholesale value was £23,925 but it would be worth up to £41,000 if split into individual deals.

Defence barrister Ken Green said Puskariov had an address to go to in the south of England but it needed to be finalised with the probation service.

He was a Lithuanian national currently remanded in Leeds Prison.

Recorder Tahir Khan QC said Puskariov had pleaded guilty at an early stage so a sentence of 16 months imprisonment could be suspended for 18 months. He would also have to do 200 hours of unpaid work for the community.

But the court needed a clear indication of where he would live so the case would be relisted for a mention. If the address he provided was acceptable that was the sentence that would be imposed.