A DISCOVERY of a cannabis factory worth up to £2 million has landed three people in prison.

Terence Boyle, Suzanne Hawkins and Anthony Cooper are set to serve 16 years in prison between them for their involvement in the cannabis factory raided by police in February 2014.

The factory was uncovered at the isolated farm in East Grinstead Road, North Chailey, on February 26, 2014 where an outbuilding had been specially adapted to grow the plants.

More than 1,700 cannabis plants were found in various stages of growth and experts said they were worth up to £2.136 million.

Retired Terence Boyle, 73 and his partner Suzanne Hawkins, 51 were arrested at the farm, where they were living, on the day. Three other people were arrested at the time and two, a 19-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man were released without charge.

Boyle and Hawkins' son Jesse Boyle was also arrested. Along with his parents, all these were charged in May 2015 with conspiracy to supply a controlled class B drug.

During the course of the investigation officers discovered another man with links to the farm.

Anthony Cooper, 47, of Warrs Hill Road, North Chailey, was arrested in London and also charged in May 2015 with conspiracy to supply and money laundering.

All four stood trial on January 23 this year at Lewes Crown Court. Cooper pleaded guilty on the first day of the trial to the charge but the case continued for the other three. After a three and a half week trial, Jesse Boyle was found not guilty, however Terence Boyle and Suzanne Hawkins were found guilty.

Boyle, Hawkins and Cooper have all appeared again at Lewes Crown Court and have been sentenced. Boyle has been given four years, Hawkins was given four years and Cooper was given four for conspiracy and two for money laundering.

The investigating officer, detective constable Jim Austin, said: "This has been the largest cannabis factory I have dealt and this has been a long and this has been a long and complex investigation involving a number of officers and we have succeeded in taking a massive amount of cannabis off the streets.

"In the process three people who worked together to set up this professional set-up are going to serve time in prison.

"We are continuing our work to take away the money and assets they have gained from their criminal behaviour."

The farm in North Chailey now has new owners.