Image copyright PSNI Image caption The cannabis factory at Carryduff in County Down

Police have discovered a cannabis cultivation "farm" at an unlocked shed in Carryduff in County Down.

The discovery of "120 cultivation pots" was made by officers responding to reports of a burglary.

Aluminium trailers, originally designed for transporting cattle, had been modified to grow the cannabis plants.

A policeman said: "The burglary was unconnected to the cannabis factory, but it gave us the opportunity to remove this harmful structure.

Image copyright PSNI Image caption The aluminium trailers were modified to grow the cannabis plants

"While attending the initial incident at Mealough Road, an officer noticed a nearby shed was unlocked and became inquisitive.

"He looked inside and found a full cannabis cultivation farm. 120 cultivation pots were discovered inside a number of aluminium trailers.

"These trailers had been fitted out with hydroponics - essentially a very hard to control environment with intense heat and water sources to encourage the rapid growth of the plants," he added.

Image copyright PSNI Image caption The containers were found when an officer noticed the shed was unlocked

"This tactic is known to cause an outbreak of fire because the factories are not monitored by the criminal but simply left to grow unchecked."