A VIETNAMESE man used stolen electricity to cultivate 400 cannabis plants.

The plants were discovered after police raided a house in Mangold Way, Thamesmead, after neighbours complained about a strange smell.

Binh Pham, aged 53, from Camberwell, and a second Vietnamese man, Quan Le, aged 48, from Thornton Heath, Surrey, were charged with illegally growing the plants.

The pair, who cannot speak English, were said to be a minor part of a larger gang who created cannabis factories to produce the drug on an industrial scale.

Croydon Crown Court heard following complaints in September 2004, police went to the Mangold Way address but could get no answer.

Pham was seen trying to escape through the garage door and was arrested.

Once in the house, police found 400 plants and cultivation equipment.

The court was told £4,614 worth of electricity had been stolen from the National Grid to help grow the plants.

And the owner of the house had to spend more than £3,000 getting it back into a condition where he could re-let it.

Pham was arrested but never answered his bail.

Police caught up with him in February this year when they raided Le's home in Thornton Heath, following similar complaints from the public about a strange smell.

Jane Carpenter, prosecuting, said 200 plants were being grown in two of the bedrooms, while in almost every other room heat lamps were being used to dry cannabis leaves which were draped over lines.

Thermometers were set at 28C. Plants and stems were on the floor and there were boxes of cuttings.

Le was arrested but claimed he had been paid £100 to tidy up the house. Pham was caught nearby.

Pham, who denied cultivating cannabis at the Thornton Heath house but admitted a similar charge for the Thamesmead house, was sentenced to three years in jail.

Le admitted cultivating cannabis at the house in Thornton Heath, and was jailed for 18 months.