THE caretaker of the wartime tunnels near Kidderminster where a cannabis factory was uncovered by police three years ago has told a jury of death threats.

Wayne Robinson was in tears at Worcester Crown Court when he revealed that his tenants from the Black Country threatened to "bury him" in a dispute about keys to the complex.

He had given them notice to quit because of the rubbish they had left lying around, but his mystery tenants – known only as Thomas and Fabian – made threats which left him petrified.

Robinson, aged 48, of Marlpool Lane, Kidderminster, denies allowing the production of a controlled drug when he was concerned in the management of the site in November 2013.

He said the telephone threat made him concerned for the safety of his family and himself.

He had taken to entering his house from the rear and not putting on any lights.

Black tape had been put round the window of his cabin on the site of his firewood business to resemble a prison.

He had once discovered a man armed with a taser in the woods near the tunnels.

He described how his pet dog had died after she had mysteriously been given poison. At one stage, he was having regular visits from the police to check on his welfare.

Robinson said he had been paid £200 a month for allowing the use of the Drakelow tunnels ostensibly for the storage of car parts.

He said he never had a suspicion that drugs were being produced and denied that he was being paid off to keep quiet.

When the police raided the tunnels in 2013, they found a crop valued at £70,000.

Cultivation was aided by high-powered lights and eight water tanks. The electricity was extracted after the meter had been by-passed.

Robinson, whose accountant brother owned the site, said the wartime tunnels had been zoned as a nuclear bunker or regional seat of government in case of attack.

An original plan had been to build six houses on the crest and use the proceeds to create a museum, but the idea was turned down by the planners.

The public were allowed into the three-and-a-half mile complex on many occasions when he organised social events such as paranormal-themed events. These brought in £250 a time.

The trial continues.