A FATHER who cultivated "unusually large" cannabis plants in his garden must pay back nearly £30,000.

Antony McClarence was ordered to pay back £29,980 within three months at a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing at Bolton Crown Court.

He was previously sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months and ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work.

McClarence, of Poulton Avenue, Breightmet, was growing eight plants which would have led to a yield of 84g of cannabis, more than double the usual expected amount of 40g.

He said that it was for his personal use, but that he planned to sell some of it to help finance production.

One of the officers who attended the house said the plants were "some of the largest plants and longest roots he had ever seen in his policing career".

The court was previously told that the total amount of cannabis grown would have a street value of £6,720, and that if it was all for his own use, it would have taken McClarence 67 weeks to smoke through the stash

McClarence, aged 48, previously pleaded guilty to one count of producing cannabis and one count of possessing cannabis.

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