Keighley stone firm boss grew skunk cannabis in tunnels

Hodgkinson grew the skunk cannabis plants in World War Two air raid tunnels

A stone firm boss set up a cannabis operation in World War Two air raid shelters when his legitimate business got into trouble, a court heard.

Garry Hodgkinson, 55, said he allowed people to run the large-scale growing operation in tunnels below the firm's premises in Keighley.

Access to the tunnels was made via a large safe, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Hodgkinson, of Victoria Avenue, Keighley, admitted cannabis production and was jailed for two years.

Prosecutor Michael Smith told the court skunk cannabis plants with a street value of nearly £90,000 were uncovered.

The court heard the defendant's business was suffering financially because of trading conditions and imports of cheaper stone.

• More stories across Yorkshire

During the sentencing hearing Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC, recorder of Bradford, was shown body-cam footage recorded by a police officer going down steps concealed by the safe at M&G Stone.

Mr Smith said officers found 48 large cannabis plants in two rooms together with equipment like overhead lighting, floor fans and an air filtration system.

In another room they discovered a vacuum-packing machine and nearly 8lbs (4kg) of packed cannabis worth about £36,000.

Mr Smith said the growing plants could have yielded a further 11lbs (5kg) of cannabis with an estimated street value of £45,000.

After his arrest Hodgkinson admitted his stone business was suffering and he had been approached by people who wanted to use the hidden air-raid shelters to grow cannabis.

Defence barrister Shufqat Khan said Hodgkinson had looked into getting a licence to grow cannabis for legitimate use, but after being "shown the ropes" he had continued to grow it following a fall out with the other men.

"He had never sold any. He didn't know how to," said Mr Khan.