POLICE who raided a smart looking house were amazed to find a £20,000 haul of cannabis.

The plants had been hung from a bedroom ceiling at the house in Tudor Gardens, Shoebury , to dry ready for sale.

An stench coming from the property alerted suspicious neighbours, who called police.

Sgt Ashley Holland, of Southend neighbourhood police, said: “Information was passed to us last week and officers came round. There was a strong smell in the area, so it was just establishing which house it was.”

Police were surprised because the immaculate three-bedroom semi-detached house looked nothing like a drugs den.

Neighbours said it would cost about £1,000 a month to rent, because it was in such a nice area of the town.

Demure net curtains, with a glimpse of nice sofas and cream carpets beyond, disguised the venture.

Upstairs, officers found a totally different story, with such a complex ventilation system that police had to crawl into the room where the cannabis was growing.

Sgt Holland said: “It’s strange to have a cultivation of this size in a nice residential area such as this, especially with the rent you must pay with a house like this.”

Police smashed the door down at about 9am on Monday, but had to wait for an electrician to make sure the room was safe.

Once the electricity was disconnected, they were able to remove the drugs. No one was found on the premises.

Sgt Holland said: “It’s disappointing there’s nobody on the premises so nobody has been arrested, but we have numerous lines of enquiry and the investigation will be ongoing.

“Due to the value of the cannabis seized, this is an excellent result.”

He also encouraged landlords and neighbours to watch out for signs of cannabis factories, and call police.

He added: “I’d urge landlords to be vigilant if they notice a premises is clearly not being lived in, but being rented for considerable periods of time.

Anyone with information can call Southend police on 101.