A carer was caught growing cannabis by his landlady after she went to check a faulty fire alarm in his flat.

Philip Logan was a heavy user of the drug, who set up the growing operation to satisfy his own needs and was had no intention of selling any of his crop.

He was found with 57 plants but only two were fully grown and most were seedlings, Exeter Crown Court was told.

Logan, aged 32, of Brownhills Road, Newton Abbot, admitted production of cannabis and was conditionally discharged by Judge Ian Lawrie and ordered to pay £1,065 costs.

He said he was letting Logan off with a discharge because it would not leave him with a permanent criminal record and would enable him to resume his career as a carer for vulnerable adults.

He said: "This was clearly for your personal use and you have taken steps to address that problem. I hope this has been a very painful lesson.

"I urge you to continue your efforts to stop using cannabis. The benefits are purely illusory and it is not good for your health."

David Bowen, prosecuting, said Logan was living in a rented flat in Torquay when his landlady went into his rooms to investigate an electrical fault with the fire alarm system.

She found cannabis growing and alerted the police, who recovered 57 plants, of which two were full grown and the others at earlier stages of growth.

Mr Bowen said the theoretical value of the plants if they all grew to full maturity was £15,000 but that was unlikely to be reached in practice.

The police checked Logan’s bank account and mobile phone and found no evidence of dealing.

Mr Paul Dentith, mitigating, said Logan had already paid a high price for the offence. He had given up his job in the care industry because he knew he would lose it as a result of his conviction.

He is now working in the ceramic tile business and has also had to move house as a result of being evicted by his landlady.

Mr Dentith said Logan has sought help with his cannabis problem from the drug service Rise.