A FATHER-of-one who ran cannabis factories from his two homes was ordered to carry out 280 hours unpaid work for the community.

Jason Northover, 38, was caught out after police called at his house in Foxglove Road, South Ockendon, after reports of a burglary and discovered 43 cannabis plants growing in the upstairs bedrooms and four plants in the hallway.

Northover initially denied growing drugs but when his flat in Ryde Drive, Stanford-le-Hope was also searched on January 15 and 38 plants were found in the loft, the defendant admitting setting up the illegal operation.

At Basildon Crown Court yesterday Recorder Jonathan Ferris also sentenced Northover to 51-weeks in prison, suspended for two years and 12 months supervision, telling him: "You were a one man band grower of a relatively small amount of cannabis plants at both these addresses."

Recorder Ferris said the fact the plants had not matured and there was no evidence of a previous harvest led him to conclude Northover was telling the truth when he claimed this was a "tentative experiment" to make money by selling cannabis to friends rather than a "full scale enterprise."

Northover pleaded guilty at an earlier opportunity to cultivating cannabis.

The court also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and paraphernalia seized.