A plumber and heating engineer accused of involvement in a £140,000 cannabis factory has been found not guilty by a jury today (March 31).

Paul Souter, 36, of no fixed address, had denied the charges of being concerned in the production of cannabis and abstracting electricity in a barn at Woodside Farm, Stapleford Road, Stapleford Abbotts.

On July 30 2013 Mr Souter was in his van, being driven by a co-defendant, which sped off when the driver spotted police outside the barn.

Officers had just carried out a raid and discovered 321 cannabis plants growing inside, with an estimated yield of 14.4kg and a value of up to £144,000.

Mr Souter told the jury at Chelmsford Crown Court that he had lent his van to his friend Gareth Sheppard while he was away on holiday.

He was adamant he knew nothing about the cannabis factory.

The jury was told that Sheppard, 31, of The Crescent, Loughton, pleaded guilty to both charges the day before the trial began.

He will be sentenced later.

The court heard that a key on the ignition bunch recovered from the van matched a lock on the unit's roller shutters.

Mr Souter said Sheppard had put his borrowed spare van key on his own bunch of keys.

The jury took an hour to reach their unanimous not guilty verdicts and Mr Souter was discharged by recorder Maryam Syed.