A cannabis factory with a crop worth more than £10,000 was raided in Rochester today.

The house in Rose Street was found to contain 422 plants in two upstairs rooms, converted for the purpose.

The plants were a mixture of mature and young plants, estimated to have a street value of around £10,000.

Detective Inspector Eddie Fox from Kent Police's Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: "The action today was the result of the local community in Rochester coming forward to Kent Police with information about suspected drug activity.

"I would like to thank the public for their support in helping us to identify the address would encourage anyone else who may have concerns that drugs are being grown in their neighbourhood to get in touch with us.

"I would also like landlords to think carefully about who they rent their properties out to. Cannabis factories can cause a lot of damage to a property as well as the risk they pose when the electricity is tampered with."

The find is the latest in a series of crackdowns on drug activity across the Medway towns.

Officers at the Medway drugs team have already secured a number of convictions against men dealing Class A drugs across the towns, totalling over 100 years in the last 18 months.

Chief Inspector Mark Arnold who is responsible for Neighbourhood Policing in Medway said: "The communities in Medway can so often prove to be the successful eyes and ears for Kent police so we are grateful for the information that they are able to provide us to ensure that cannabis factories such as this are shut down promptly."

Police in Medway are asking residents to be on the look out for signs of possible illegal drugs activity, which include:

• Windows will permanently covered from the inside
• Visits to the addresses will not match normal residents patterns
• The offenders may call daily or weekly but only for short periods
• Removal of quantities of black bags
• Compost bags and other gardening equipment in the garden close to the back door
• A pungent smell emanating from the property
• Avent protruding from the roof tiles

Anyone with information about drug activity can contact Kent Police on 01622 690690.

Alternatively officers in Medway have set up a dedicated phone line for people to call if they want to report suspected drug dealing in their area. The number to call is 01634 792515.

• Two men aged 40 and 37 have been arrested and are being questioned at Medway Police station.