A 34-year-old man has been jailed for two years for setting up a £26,000 cannabis farm while subject to a suspended jail sentence for the same offence.

Liam Rignall was arrested when police found 54 cannabis plants and a sports bag full of cannabis bud at his home in Boldshay Street, Barkerend, Bradford.

He pleaded guilty to production of cannabis on March 31 and possession of the drug with intent to supply.

The court heard the growing and dried cannabis had a potential street value of £26,210.

In September last year, Rignall was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, for running a cannabis farm worth £7,000.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that he had completed the 180 hours of unpaid work that went with that sentence.

His solicitor Ash Mahmood said he was not the main instigator but took all the risks, with the tenancy of the property and the utility bills in his name.

He had now left that address and cut off all contact with the people he was criminally involved with.

Judge Peter Benson said it was a sophisticated operation to grow cannabis commercially. He jailed Rignall for 21 months and added three months of the suspended sentence on top.