A MAN who rented his Newport house to a young family-of-three has spoken of his misery after his property was turned into a £140,000 cannabis factory.

Nigel Richards, a businessman from Newport, knew the main tenant’s grandparents and said he worked tirelessly on cleaning and painting the house before the young man, his girlfriend, and their child, moved into the house in Baneswell on April 10.

But last month, Mr Richards alerted the police after discovering around 360 cannabis plants and an estimated £20,000-worth of damage to the house on West Street.

Officers told Mr Richards the plants, which have since been destroyed, could have been worth up to £140,000.

Mr Richards said: “I came round one day and looked through the letterbox and I saw a man I didn’t recognise.

“I came back 20 minutes later and the door was open – they’d done a runner. It was then I noticed all the plants.

“They had cut the beams in the attic to make more space for them and put holes through every ceiling.

They had re-wired all the electrics as well.

“It was a really professional job. I’ve never seen a set up like it before, even watching stuff like that on the telly.”

Mr Richards has owned the house for 12 years and has never had any problems with tenants in the past.

He added: “I’m so angry and bitter.”

A Gwent Police spokesman said: “Officers were called to an address on West Street, Bansewell at approximately 7.19pm on July 13 to reports of a cannabis factory operation.

“Officers attended and whilst no-one was found living at the address they discovered a cannabis factory with approximately 360 plants at various stages of growth.

“Officers are investigating the circumstances and would urge anyone who may have seen suspicious activity on West Street in the days or weeks leading up to July 13 to ring 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously quoting log 517 13/07/13.”