A cannabis factory was accidentally uncovered by police investigating a burglary.

Local officers  attended the scene of the suspected burglary and uncovered a full scale cannabis factory.

The officers were called after a local resident reported seeing four men make off from from an address at approximately 3am on March 12 in Park Lane, Swindon.

After chasing down the suspects, police returned to the scene of the suspected burglary and uncovered the drug den.

After a description of a van and car seen outside the property were given to officers, the men were located on the A419 and subsequently arrested.

The four men, aged between 20 and 30 from Wolverhampton, were arrested on suspicion of burglary and remain in custody.

This was excellent policing by all officers involved, including those across the county border who assisted in the arrest of the four men.

The vehicles involved were seized as part of our enquiries and a number of items were located including a knife, a large quantity of cash and cannabis.

Duty Inspector Alex Spargo said: “We are extremely grateful to the member of the public who initially reported their concerns regarding the suspicious activity in Park Lane which enabled us to make these arrests and subsequently locate a substantial cannabis factory.”

“I hope this encourages anyone who suspects criminal activity in their neighbourhood to report it to us on 101 or 999 if a crime is in progress.”

Enquiries in relation to this incident are ongoing.