ONE thousand cannabis plants were discovered today what could be Newport's biggest cannabis factory.

Seven police officers and five PCSOs raided a three bed semi-detached house in Handel Close, Ringland at 9am.

They found four rooms full of mature cannabis plants, each three feet high - 1,000 in total.

PC Leanne Pole, based at Alway station, said: "It was a very professional set up, there were heaters in every room of the house which I have never seen before.

"The windows were all lined with cellophane but frosted on the outside so you couldn't see.

"This was a very good seizure, there was a substantial amount."

PC Pole said the man at the address had been sleeping in a fold-out bed in the kitchen as the rest of the house was used to grow the drugs.

The property was found after a police helicopter flew over the property over Christmas on an unrelated matter.

Equipped with a thermal-imaging camera it detected a large amount of heat coming from the house.

An electrician also went into the property this morning to make sure the electrics were safe.

Neighbours said they were shocked there was a cannabis factory of their doostep.

John McReadie said: "I think the guy had been living there for a couple of months, I saw him once just putting the bins out.

"I had no idea what was going on, I'm not really happy about it."

Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said it was a nice neighbourhood.

"I've seen a couple of people go in and out of the house but nothing out of the ordinary, just everyday life."

PC Pole could not put a figure on the value of the plants until their size and number had been checked.

A man was arrested at the property.

Earlier this month we reported that Gwent Police had seized drugs worth almost £2 million from drug factories in the area since 2006.