Police officers who went to a house after receiving reports of a burglary discovered a cannabis factory, a court has heard.

A total of 121 cannabis plants with a potential street value of £54,500 were found at the property in Oxford Road, Ipswich, in October, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Lori Tucker, prosecuting, said that every room in the rented house was being used to grow plants and described the operation as “large scale”. She said officers saw two men in the area and arrested 24-year-old Ardian Daci after a chase. Daci, an illegal immigrant, admitted being concerned in the production of cannabis and was jailed for 30 months.

After his arrest Daci told police he had arrived in the UK in a refrigerated lorry two years ago.

He had a £6,500 debt which was money he had borrowed to get into the UK and he had been offered £4,000 to look after the cannabis plants at the house in Oxford Road.

Miss Tucker told the court the cannabis plants had a potential wholesale value of £10,000-£15,000 and a potential street value of £54,500.

Roger Thomson, for Daci, said after arriving in this country as an illegal immigrant he had been unable to claim benefits or get work.