THIS is the inside of a house stumbled across by police who went in to investigate a suspected burglary.

Officers uncovered a home-made cannabis factory filled with plants worth thousands of pounds.

Police were despatched to the semi-detached house in the early hours of yesterday morning following a 999 call from a neighbour, who saw the attempted break-in taking place.

But when they arrived four minutes later the suspects had fled, leaving the front door damaged and smashed.

Inside the house, in Cedar Road, Southampton, they discovered most of the rooms had been turned into a|hi-tech growing area for the drug.

Detectives estimate around 400 cannabis plants were found inside, in a lounge downstairs, each of the bedrooms upstairs and the attic.

Furniture inside the rented property had been piled up in a cramped front room, where those farming the drug were also thought to have been sleeping.

The growers had rigged up extensive lighting equipment to grow the plants, sealing windows with sheeting and tape and scattering mothballs around the doors in an attempt to disguise the smell.

A bath had also been transformed into an irrigation system, and there was evidence of plant food being stored inside.

From the outside, the house looks little different to the others in the heavily student-populated area off Inner Avenue. It is one of many in the area being let.

Yesterday electricity board officials had to attend the scene to ensure it was safe before police began the task of clearing the property.

Det Sgt Will Reid said the discovery of the farm should serve as a warning to landlords in the area who are ultimately responsible for what takes place inside.

He said: “The owner of this home has been left with a very hefty bill to repair the damage that has been done. Landlords must be aware that they are ultimately responsible for what is going on inside a property they are letting.

“This is an area heavily populated by people renting flats, apartments and rooms. I would urge owners to ensure they know who is living in their properties at all times.”