An Albanian man was found hiding in the loft of a Jarrow house after police uncovered a full-scale cannabis farm packed with more than a hundred plants.

Officers raided the property on Leopold Street and discovered 158 cannabis plants growing across four separate rooms. The illegal crop had the potential to produce up to £39,000 worth of cannabis.

Ramazan Lami, 28, admitted producing cannabis and told the court he had been acting as a “gardener” for the operation.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Lami had entered the UK illegally after being promised legitimate work, but instead found himself trapped inside a criminal setup. His defence said the situation had “turned into a nightmare”, and that he described his time in custody as “hell”.

Lami was jailed and will be voluntarily deported after serving his sentence.

Police say cannabis farms of this scale pose significant risks, including dangerous electrical bypassing and links to organised crime groups who exploit vulnerable migrants as disposable labour.