Police found drugs at three premises across the county after carrying out a surveillance operation, Lincoln Crown Court heard.

Officers discovered 92 cannabis plants and growing equipment after raiding an industrial unit at Silver Tree Farm in Kettlethorpe, near Gainsborough.

Roger Bayes, 38, from Lincoln, who admitted renting the unit from unknowing owner David Young, was jailed for three and half years.

Following the raid police carried out two further searches at industrial units rented out by Dale Melling, the court heard.

A pressing machine and two freezer bags containing cocaine was found at an industrial unit in Wellington Street, Lincoln.

Officers also discovered 121 cannabis plants at another premises rented by Melling in Dixon Street, off High Street, Lincoln.

The 22-year-old from Bracebridge Heath, near Lincoln, was sentenced to four years imprisonment.

A third man, Marc Freeman, 29, from Lincoln, who acted as gardener for the cannabis, was sentenced to 150 hours community punishment and a six month nightly curfew.

Stephen Lowne, prosecuting, told the court police arrested Bayes and Melling after carrying out a surveil l ance operation at Silver Tree Farm.

"Police officers saw Melling, Bayes and three other men meeting at the Little Chef on the A46 at South Hykeham," Mr Lowne said.

"Bayes and Melling were then seen to drive in a Land Rover Discovery along the A57 to Kettlethorpe where they entered unit two."

"They were then observed driving to another industrial unit in Wellington Street, Lincoln, where the Land Rover stopped for an hour and half."

Both Bayes and Melling made no comment when they were questioned by the police during interview.

But Mr Lowne said the owner of the unit at Silver Tree Farm, David Young, confirmed Bayes was renting the premises from him.

"Mr Young recalled the premises were boarded up," Mr Lowne added.

"He said Bayes would visit the unit daily for a couple of hours and saw him planting pots and erecting heat lamps."

Chris Aspinal, mitigating for Bayes, said he only became involved after getting into debt.

"He does not use drugs and wasn't going to sell them," Mr Aspinal told the court. "He would have passed them on to a third party."

"He went in to this operation in rather a naive way. Anybody in the vicinity would have very easily ascertained what was going on."

Mark Watson, mitigating for Melling, said he had no previous convictions for dealing in cocaine.

John Lloyd-Jones, mitigating for Freeman told the court he ended his involvement with the conspiracy before the police raids.

"His role was as a worker," Mr Lloyd-Jones said. "He used to move things around on the orders of Mr Bayes."

Bayes, 38, of Keddington Avenue, Lincoln; Melling, 22, of Jensen Road, Bracebridge Heath; and Freeman, 29, of East Liberty, Lincoln, all admitted conspiring to produce cannabis following the raids in July, last year.

Melling also pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply others.

He was sentenced to four years imprisonment for the cocaine offence and three years for the cannabis charge. The sentences will run concurrent with each other.

Jailing Bayes and Melling, Recorder Adrian Reynolds said he accepted they were not "professional criminals," but added: "You both employed Marc Freeman as a gardener at these premises."