More than a thousand cannabis plants with a street value of around £500,000 have been found in a raid at an Old Hill home.

Police made the discovery after executing a drugs warrant at two properties in Claremont Street at around 7.45am this morning.

Sergeant Colin Gallier, of Old Hill police, said officers found an estimated 1,350 plants crammed into rooms and cellars at the two three storey properties.

Dividing walls had been knocked through to form one large premises, windows were boarded up to conceal sunlight while powerful heating lamps kept plants warm.

Fertiliser bags were piled high along passageways and a ventilation system was also in place.

Sgt Gallier said: “There is no doubt this was a sophisticated factory, it was clearly part of a much larger operation.

“There are plants everywhere, in some of the upstairs rooms you can’t even see the floor.”

Police pounced after PCSOs Cliff Nelson and Franics Taylor, both members of Old Hill and Cradley Heath neighbourhood team, reported a strange odour coming from the house while on a routine patrol earlier this week. The raid was carried out by seven officers from the neighbourhood team.

Sgt Gallier revealed the factory’s occupants had even managed to divert electricity supply from the street’s mains supply for increased power.

He added: “As soon as the smell was reported we researched it, got the warrant and executed the operation.

“It’s a great example of local neighbourhood policing in action, sometimes even the most routine and quiet-seeming patrols can turn up something like this.”

Police believe the house was inhabited by men of Vietnamese descent, though it was empty at the time of the raid.

Officers are currently still on the scene clearing plants from the property. No arrests have yet been made.

This morning’s events stunned residents on the normally quiet street.

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said they were not aware of anyone living in the houses for the last 18 months.

She said: “It’s surprising because we thought the house was empty. There was no suspicion anything was going on at all, it’s quite a shock.”