A NEIGHBOUR, who was unaware he was living next door to an Exmouth drug factory, said he was 'shocked' when he heard hundreds of cannabis plants were growing just metres away from his home.

A NEIGHBOUR, who was unaware he was living next door to an Exmouth drug factory, said he was 'shocked' when he heard hundreds of cannabis plants were growing just metres away from his home.The 36-year-old, who did not want to be named, learned through the Journal how a neighbouring landlord found 300 abandoned cannabis plants and drugs paraphernalia in his four-bedroom Madeira Villas house.The 36-year-old said the tenants next door were quiet people - but the property had had a regular stream of visitors."They are old houses so the walls are quite thick so I never heard any noises coming from next door," he said."I was pretty shocked when I heard - because they used to say hello to me. They seemed nice enough people and had the time of day for me. I didn't think those type of people could be drug dealers."It's a really nice place to live. You never get any trouble. It's a really quiet road and I am shocked that a drug den could be next door to me. I would never have thought it."The drug factory was discovered after the landlord was forced to break into the property after a rent cheque failed to clear.The landlord forced the back window after finding the locks had been changed.Inside, he found an abandoned drug farm - walls inside the house had been removed to bypass the electricity supply and all the rooms had ventilation ducts.The extent of the damage caused to the property is thought to be thousands of pounds because of the work needed to repair holes in the walls, and to remove the extra lighting and extractors going to the chimney.Police have not yet arrested anyone in connection with the find.Anyone with information is asked to contact Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800555111 or Exmouth police on (08452)777444, quoting crime number KE-09-431.