A fireman who was running a cannabis factory in his flat was busted by fellow firefighters who turned up to deal with a flood at the property.

Troy Webber, 40, based at Chelsea Fire Station, was sentenced to two years in prison at Croydon Crown Court on January 28 after pleading guilty to production of a cannabis and abstracting electricity.

The London Fire Brigade was called to deal with a flood after a tap had been left running and poured through the ceiling of the KFC in Central Road, Worcester Park on Friday, May 25, which was below his flat.

On entering the flat the firemen found large tents and a strong cannabis smell and told police.

A minute later Webber arrived and police entered the flat to find 125 plants growing in tents in four different rooms.

Webber, of Westcroft Road, Wallington, told officers he sub-let the flat but was unable to provide police with contact details for his tenant.

Residents told officers they had seen Webber visit the address almost every day.

He was arrested on the day and charged on September 18.

Webber, a qualified electrician with his own electrical business, had used his knowledge to by-pass the electricity supply to steal £1,514.71 of electricity.