Tenant Chris Wolff was nabbed as one of the gang behind a cannabis factory in Canterbury – because of a council tax bill.

The 59-year-old had rented the property in Milton Close, which was then converted to grow more than 80 plants.

Police went to the area after neighbours complained about a bust-up in the street in September last year.

When officers arrived everyone had disappeared but they smelled cannabis coming from a nearby house.

Inside they discovered the plants, hydroponics equipment, lighting, timers, extractor fans and a clue about who was responsible for the operation.

Prosecutor Jim Harvey told Canterbury Crown Court Wolff had fled, leaving behind a council tax bill in his name and also his prison card.

Now the drug addict, who had moved to the house shortly after leaving jail, is back inside for two years after admitting producing the Class B drug.

His barrister Robert Conway claimed that Wolff was “just babysitting” the cannabis operation for £100 a day and some of the drugs.

He said that the disturbance which led to the police raid was a group of men trying to force their way inside to snatch part of the skunk – which had a street value of up to £16,000.

The court heard that some of the plants had already been harvested before last year’s raid.

Mr Conway said Wolff, who had convictions for a number of drug offences, was not the brains behind the operation.

He said: “He was just a caretaker but he did know what he was doing. He didn’t have the wherewithal to fund such an operation.

“It was a rather stupid thing to do because the council tax bill and the prison card both had his name on them, so it would always come back to him because he was the tenant.”

Judge Adele Williams told Wolff: “You have a significant number of previous convictions, including the possession of all manner of drugs.

“You had not long been released from prison when you took up this offer to take care the production of cannabis in a residential area.”