TWO men who set up a “small but sophisticated” cannabis factory in Great Yarmouth have been sentenced.

Rui Siopa, 28, and Sergio Paula, 26, both of York Road, appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Thursday, November 11, after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to producing a Class B drug.

Siopa was sentenced to 26 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 18 months and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

Paula was given a 100 hour unpaid work and ordered to pay �200 costs.

The charges related to an incident on May 7 when police raided the house on York Road. During the search about 30 cannabis plants and cultivation equipment.

Suspicions were first raised when response officers PC Nick Bruce and PC Craig Johnstone and noticed a strong aroma of the drug while walking past the house.

PC Bruce said: “This was a small but sophisticated set up and a lot of work had gone into setting up a watering system at the address. Efforts had also been made to conceal the area where cannabis was being grown in the property.

The production of illegal drugs will not be tolerated and local people can be reassured that information passed to police will be acted on.”