THREE people were arrested after police officers discovered a large cannabis factory inside two industrial units.

A team from the West Sussex Tactical Enforcement Unit (TEU) was on patrol when they saw a van being driven into an open unit in Imberhorne Way in East Grinstead on Sunday.

Officers spotted what they believed to be a cannabis factory inside and on carrying out a search they discovered 564 cannabis plants.

Police arrested a 26-year-old man from Horley in Surrey at the scene on suspicion of being concerned in the production of cannabis.

Officers remained suspicious about a neighbouring unit where they could still smell cannabis, a class B drug, and on searching the unit they found a further 252 cannabis plants.

The Argus:

After another vehicle arrived at the site police arrested a 31-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, both from East Grinstead, on suspicion of being concerned in the production of cannabis.

The man was also detained on suspicion of being in possession of an offensive weapon.

Sergeant Chris Bryant from the West Sussex TEU said: "We were able to disrupt a significant large scale cannabis factory and seize hundreds of plants and drugs which would have ended up being sold on the streets of Sussex.

"Our priority is to help keep communities safe and feeling safe and preventing crime."