A man admitted converting the bedroom of his Southend home into a cannabis growing operation.

Southend Magistrates’ Court heard officers from the Southend Operation Raptor team executed a warrant at the property in Baxter Avenue on March 21 this year.

Inside they found 40-year-old Matthew Boulton who had converted his bedroom into a makeshift cannabis factory with a large tent containing 17 large plants of the Class B drugs.

A further 18 cannabis plants were next to the tent and the room also had hydroponic lighting which is used to help the drug grow.

Boulton of Baxter Avenue, Southend was arrested and charged and admitted producing a Class B drug when he appeared in court.

He was given an electronic tag and made the subject of a six-month curfew preventing him from going out between the hours of 7pm and 7am he was also required to complete a rehabilitation requirement.

Following the sentencing an Essex Police spokesperson said: “We will continue to target those individuals who think they can sell or produce drugs in our county.

“We won’t tolerate this behaviour and will continue to target those involved in the illegal supply of drugs.

“If you are aware of drug or gang-related activity in your area, then contact us, we will act on it.”

Essex Police set up Operation Raptor teams in the North, South and West of the county to tackle drug and gang-related crime.

If you have information about gang or drug-related crime in your community contact us on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Boulton was sentenced on Monday August 13.