CANNABIS plants with a potential street value of £20,000 have been seized from a council flat in a Teesdale village.

They were found by five police officers who raided the property in Manor Grove, Cockfield, near Barnard Castle, after obtaining a warrant from a magistrate.

A man at the flat was arrested and questioned before being released on bail on Wednesday pending a formal analysis of the plants.

It was the biggest haul of drugs ever recovered by police in the Teesdale area, where cannabis production is not been regarded as a serious problem.

Sgt Chris Knox of Barnard Castle police said the raid was carried out as a result of information from the public.

"The success of this operation was entirely due to the public, and we are grateful for this kind of co-operation," he said.

One officer carried heavy equipment in case it was needed to batter open the door of the flat. But it was unlocked, so the team just turned the handle and walked in.

In one room they found 58 cannabis plants in various stages of maturity.

They are believed to be the skunk form of the drug, which is particularly strong. They were in pots, and some were up to 4ft tall.

One officer commented: "It looked like a bit of a jungle in there. The room seemed to be just about filled with the plants."

A number of neighbours watched quietly from along the street as officers carried the plants out to vehicles and the arrested man was taken away.

Police drug experts who were called in to give their opinion of the haul estimated that when fully grown and processed it would have a street value of at least £18.000 and possibly £20,000.