A South Devon man who set up a sophisticated cannabis growing operation to make money so he did not have to claim benefits has been jailed for three years.

Exeter Crown Court heard John Whittle harvested several crops at his home and at a specially rented industrial unit.

If all the crops he harvested together with plants seized by police had reached maturity the street value would have been more than £26,000

Prosecutor Mary McCarthy said when police raided Whittle's home in Piermont Place, Dawlish they found over 270 plants growing in the kitchen and one of the bedrooms.

The prosecutor said after he had been to court and admitted offences relating to his home, Whittle carried on growing at his industrial unit on the Shutterton estate at Dawlish.

The court heard before police halted Whittle's illegal enterprise he had already sold three crops to a man involved in the Manchester party scene.

Miss McCarthy said the growing operation was sophisticated with hydroponics, lights, heating, extractor fans, transformers and growing fluid.

Whittle started his illegal business in January 2002 and spent nearly £1,000 on equipment, faced soaring electricity bills and had to pay for the rent on the industrial unit.

Miss McCarthy said in the second raid at Shutterton police found 72 plants which had already been harvested and the two kilogram crop was found when police again searched his home. Whittle was to say that he had harvested three crops at the unit but one of them had been stolen. When he sold the crops to the man in Manchester he received £2,500 a time.

Defending Terry Holder said Whittle had started the cannabis growing after the breakdown of his marriage. He had found himself living alone with no money so he set up the business as a way of raising cash so he did not have to claim benefits.

Mr Holder said after he was caught Whittle co-operated fully with the police. He pointed out that his client had not started a new operation after his initial arrest and the growing at the industrial unit was running in tandem with that at his home.

Forty-six-year-old Whittle pleaded guilty to three charges of supplying cannabis, two of producing cannabis, one of possessing cannabis and one of permitting premises to be used for smoking cannabis.

Passing the three year jail term Judge Peter Henry told Whittle: 'There was an element of wholesaling in this sophisticated operation which you spent a great deal of money setting up. There may be a softening of attitudes towards those using cannabis but that does not apply to suppliers.'