A FORMER Kidderminster Harriers footballer has been jailed for producing cannabis worth up to £100,000 on a Worcestershire industrial estate.

Aaron Farrell acted as a "gardener" for 135 plants capable of producing 10 kilograms of cannabis at his business premises on the outskirts of Stourport, Worcester Crown Court heard.

Christopher Lester, prosecuting, said police arrived to execute a search warrant at 11am on September 30 last year just after Farrell had locked up and was about to drive away. He tried to run but was caught by police, and inside the warehouse they found the plants set up with a system including hydroponics, thermostats, extractor fans and CCTV.

"It was clear there was a substantial growing operation," Mr Lester said.

The cannabis could have been worth between £50,000 and £100,000 at street value, he told the court.

Laura Hobson, defending, said the 28-year-old father-of-two had got into "severe financial difficulties with a criminal who was much more sophisticated than he was" and had helped set up the cannabis factory to pay off an £8,000 debt.

"He was simply acting as a gardener," she told the court.

He had the premises with the intention of setting up his own business and when he got into trouble he agreed to let them be used. There was to be no extra financial gain other than writing off the debt, she said.

She said Farrell had been a footballer but an injury had stopped him from playing. He had been working as a kitchen fitter and was waiting for an operation with the hope that he could return to playing football. He was also helping out a gym attended by one of his children.

Farrell played for Kidderminster Harriers until the club released him.

Recorder Denis Desmond said the cannabis factory had been a "professional set-up" and the business had been used as a cover.

"A lot of people have big debts and don't resort to producing cannabis but you did," he told Farrell.

Farrell, of Langley Park Way, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, was jailed for two years.