Police who raided a terraced house in Wincheap discovered a cannabis factory with almost 350 plants with a street value of £135,000.

They went to the rented property on Saturday afternoon following reports of suspicious activity and secured the scene overnight before dismantling hydroponic equipment and seizing plants and evidence the following day.

Officers removed 142 mature plants and 200 saplings but no arrests have been inquiries are continuing.

Detective Constable Daniel Mead said: "Investigations are ongoing to establish who was running the cannabis factory and we are pursuing a number of lines of inquiry.

"We would like to hear from anyone who has seen suspicious activity in the Wincheap area. We would also like to hear from anyone suspecting that a cannabis factory may be operating in their area.

"Signs of a cannabis factory can include the windows being permanently covered from the inside and visits to the address not matching normal residents’ patterns - that is people calling daily or weekly but only for short periods of time.

"Often a pungent smell will emanate from the building and can even seep through the walls to adjacent properties.

"Other telltale signs can include compost bags and other gardening equipment close to the back door without any clear indication of normal gardening activity."

Anyone with information should call police on 01843 222289 or Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111 quoting reference ZY/001735/16.