POLICE officers swooped on a former farm in Milland and uncovered a cannabis factory.

The Herald understands detectives raided New Barn Farm House, the former home of well-known Milland resident David King who was completely unaware of what it was being used for.

He had put the farmhouse up for rent several months ago but only recently found a tenant allegedly through an agent.

The electricity board was alerted to very high power usage in the area – a typical sign of an illegal drug-making operation – and tried to trace where it was being used – and why. Residents noticed closed curtains at the house, which aroused further suspicions.

When police arrived they found the house full of cannabis plants with interior walls knocked down to accommodate the illegal operation.

One man, reported to be Vietnamese, was found hiding in a cupboard but the rest of the house was empty.

The tenants, who had only been there for a couple of weeks, and the ‘agent’ have proved impossible to trace, according to our sources, including a man who witnessed the raid.

Considerable damage had been caused to the house, and will be costly to repair, we also understand.

Mr King, a farmer involved in Milland Rural Fair for many years, moved out more than a year ago. The Herald has been unable to contact him.

Close to 300 buyers attended his retirement auction sale at the farm, in 2016, which included a large range of Massey Ferguson tractors, a Harrods of London Edwardian cast-iron safe, machinery and livestock equipment, collected over more than 40 years.

Sussex Police had not commented on the raid after being contacted by our reporter, as we went to press.