A 30-year-old South Norwood man was given a 12-month suspended sentence last week after carefully cultivating a cannabis factory in a Beckenham flat.

Tyrone Maduro, of St Mark's Road, was only caught last year after the owner of his rented flat arranged for a mortgage valuer to visit the premises.

Along with the suspended sentence Maduro has been ordered to participate in a substance misuse programme after being found guilty of being concerned in the production of a class C drug.

All of the furniture had been removed from the previously furnished flat in Elmers End Road, Beckenham, and the flat had been converted into a fully functioning cannabis factory with approximately 200 plants being cultivated.

Detailed forensic analysis was carried out at the property and a fingerprint was recovered from the bulb of one of the heating lamps and matched to Maduro, who was charged on October 17 last year.

The case was committed to Croydon Crown Court for trial and Maduro pleaded guilty to the offence at the plea and case management hearing at Croydon Crown Court last month.

An order was made under Section 27 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 for the forfeiture and destruction of Maduro's cannabis plants and seized drugs paraphernalia.

Detective Inspector Bryan Davidson, head of Bromley Police's CID task force, said: "Drugs ruin lives, not only those of the users but of their families too. Danger from an illegal drug includes the damaging and criminal behaviour which people are sucked into to support their habit, and the harm it does to those around them.

"There is a huge criminal injury built up around the supply of drugs, which blights many people's lives."