AN UNEMPLOYED chef who ran a cannabis factory was caught out thanks to vigilant residents.
Cam Luu, of Rangefield Road, Downham, pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis in a house in Reed Gardens, Croydon.
Croydon Crown Court heard how residents became suspicious number 23 was being used to grow cannabis when the noticed a smell coming from the house.
And on June 1, they called police when they saw Luu enter the house.
The 44-year-old was arrested trying to escape via the back door.
Officers discovered three upstairs bedrooms had been converted for cannabis growing.
On August 9, Judge John Tanzer gave Luu an 11-month sentence suspended for two years and ordered him to do 200 hours of community service.
He said: "The reason the factory was found was entirely due to residents acting in a public-spirited way in keeping the police informed."
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