Premier League star's home 'is taken over by criminal gang and turned into a cannabis factory - with hundreds

A report in The Sun has claimed a criminal gang took control of an unnamed Premier League star's home and forced their tenant to let them turn the house into a cannabis factory.

The report states the property, which is in the north west of England, is owned by the top flight player, but rented out.

The tenant, who was female, was subsequently left surrounded by hundreds of cannabis plants.

Police ended up raiding the home, which resulted in the Premier League star and tenant facing questions.

The report goes onto add that the player - who was left shocked by the whole episode - proved his innocence to police, who also concluded the tenant was set up by the gang. She was subsequently released without charge.

A report in The Sun has claimed a criminal gang took control of an unnamed Premier League star's home and forced their tenant to let them turn the house into a cannabis factory

Police raided the home before taking away and destroying hundreds of cannabis plants

A source told The Sun: 'This player owns the house in the North West as part of a buy-to-let empire. 

'Another family member manages the properties but they couldn't believe it when cops found a large-scale cannabis farm.

'The plants were taken away and destroyed and the player had to show paperwork to prove that while he was the owner of the property, he had someone else living in it.'

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 states that production and possession of cannabis with an attempt to supply can result in a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

Meanwhile, if landlords fail to report any suspicion of illegal activity, they can also be liable and face a similar punishment, while rental income can be seized thanks to the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Cannabis farms are a growing problem in the UK, with more than 1,000 raided back in the summer.

The report claims £130million worth of plants were seized - with a single plant attributed to a value of £840 - while 1,000 suspects were also arrested. 

Previously, the National Police Chiefs' Council has said: 'Organised networks involved in cannabis production are also directly linked to other serious criminality such as Class A drug importation, slavery, violence and exploitation.'