A DEPRESSED drug producer who called police to tell them he had set up a cannabis factory at his business has been jailed.

Julian Steele, 47, of Wraysbury Drive, Basildon, was working on a crop worth £25,000 in an attempt to sort out his money troubles - but he gave police details of his operation before he made a penny.

Officers were first alerted to a strong smell of cannabis coming from tiling firm Homes in Stone, in South Woodham Ferrers, in May.

They then received a call from Steele, telling them the business was being used to grow drugs.

When police arrived at the Homes in Stone, Steele’s business partner Stephen Dixon opened the door and showed them the room where the drugs were being grown.

Officers found 69 cannabis plants, as well as 269 cuttings and growing equipment.

The court heard no drugs produced at the business were ever sold.

Steele admitted one count of producing the class B drug during an appearance at Chelmsford Crown Court.

He also admitted abstracting electricity for the professional hydroponic set-up, which helped the cannabis to grow, between May 2015 and May 2016.

The court heard Steele was facing bankruptcy and thought growing drugs would be an easy way to make money - but then realised the seriousness of what he had done.

He was jailed for a total of 15 months.

His business partner Dixon, 44, of Kenton Way, Basildon, admitted permitting the production of cannabis at the tiling firm they ran together.

He told the judge: “It has been hell. I apologise for my involvement. Have I learned the lesson not to get involved in this sort of thing again? Yes I have.”

Dixon received a 12 month community order for his role in the operation, with a requirement to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay court costs.

Addressing the pair on Thursday, judge David Turner QC said: “You have both made very bad decisions indeed when you decided to use your business premises to set up, and you Dixon permitted the setting up, of a small cannabis factory.”

He added that the factory could have raised £25,000 in the “short to medium term” but “it had not realised anything. He had no alternative but to send Steele to jail.