A 47-year-old man who by-passed the electricity meter at his home to run a £47,000 cannabis factory has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Simon Carver, who was about to be promoted to sales manager at work, was arrested after neighbours in Club Row, Wilsden, noticed a strong smell of the drug. Carver pleaded guilty to production of cannabis and possession of the Class B drug with intent to supply.

He was also sent to Bradford Crown Court for sentence by Skipton magistrates for possession of heroin and possession of cannabis with intent to supply, both offences committed while on bail.

The court heard that police raided his home on New Year's Eve, 2012, and found 37 cannabis plants in the cellar and bedroom.

Harvested skunk cannabis was seized from bin bags and the electricity meter had been by-passed for the illegal abstraction of electricity for the factory.

Carver at first told the police the cannabis was all for his own use.

The prosecution did not accept that and a date was set to try the issue at the Crown Court.

Last November 8, two days before that hearing, police were called to Carver's address, at Clayton Hall Road, Cross Hills, about reports of a domestic disturbance.

Carver was arrested and had heroin residue in his underpants. A small quantity of the Class A drug was found in his car, with up to £2,800 of cannabis in bin bags in the footwell.