THE owner of a farm near Newport where police seized hundreds of cannabis plants spoke of his "shock" at the discovery.

As reported in later editions of yesterday's Argus, police recovered more than 500 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £150,000 per year from an outbuilding at the back of Sluice Farm, Broadstreet Common, Peterstone.

The haul of plants, at various stages of maturity, included around 200 mature ones ready for harvest and seedlings.

Steve Eddins, 52, the owner of the farm had rented part of the outbuilding to a man last September on the premise he was going to use it to make biofuel in and the man had then sublet the shed to another group of people.

"Surprised is an understatement, shock is a better word. It's nothing to do with the farm, whoever they are, they've done it very cleverly," he said.

A police spokesman confirmed four officers entered the property at 10.30am on Monday after they received intelligence from a member of the public in the Pill area.

He said the search was carried out with the farmer's permission and a warrant was executed.

The cannabis was found in a locked building at the rear of the farm.

Three men from Cardiff, aged 38, 32 and 31, found at the scene were arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis.

Mr Eddins, who was born on the farm, said police came into the property on Monday and talked to him before looking in the outbuilding, which police say had been converted for the sole purpose of cultivating cannabis.

"I'm not going to jeopardise my family, my living and my business with trash like that," he said.

Mr Eddins added that a shed had been constructed within the building and it was lined to prevent the detection of heat.

The three men arrested have been released on bail pending further investigation.