OFFICERS stormed a former travel agents and caught two Vietnamese men at a £250,000 cannabis farm.

Sparks flew as police used an axe grinder to cut metal shutters at the old ‘five travel and estate agents’ in Queen’s Park Road, Blackburn.

Officers then chased the live-in ‘gardeners’ through the attic.

As they tried to flee, the men smashed through the attic wall and cowered in a corner.

After a 15-minute stand-off in the tiny loft, the pair, aged 16 and 21, were arrested and police began dismantling the 600-plant factory.

Shadsworth community beat manager PC Michael Kearns described it as ‘the most professional set-up I have ever seen’.

Experts from United Utilities said they had to carefully disconnect the electricity as the occupiers had sliced straight into the mains leaving the premises like ‘a live grenade’.

Police said the men, both under five-feet tall, were wanted in other areas of the country for skipping bail.

The 21-year-old is wanted by Greater Manchester Police in connection with similar drugs offences.

Investigations are going on into their immigration status.

The raid followed an anonymous tip-off.

South east neighbourhood and operation support unit team one officers executed a warrant to uncover the vast set up at 10am yesterday.

A mattress, bed sheets and clothes were found behind the counter in what used to be the front office of the travel agents, and on the first floor corridor was a makeshift kitchen with a fridge and piles of washing up.

The first floor, which runs above neighbouring businesses including a butchers, consisted of three large rooms filled with rows and rows of mature cannabis plants.

The second floor was the nursery for maturing plants and seedlings and a lean-to attic.

PC Kearns said: “I’ve never seen something so professionally done.

“Every window was sealed up and each room has ducting, lights and fans. There was very little smell escaping.

"The two men arrested who have been living here are the gardeners, but this is definitely the work of an organised crime gang.

“The investigation is in its early stages, but we are now trying to track down the landlord and find out who is responsible.”

Police believe they have caught the cannabis factory before its first yield, preventing hundreds of thousands of pounds of cannabis flooding the streets of Blackburn.

Officers said the operation has been running for at least eight weeks, not including the time to set it up.

A member of staff at Blackburn Halal Meat and Poultry butchers, which is next door, said: “This has come as a big surprise.

“We didn’t see any suspicious activity, we didn’t smell anything, and with all the roadworks in the area at the moment, we didn’t hear anything either.

“I’m shocked that it was so well hidden.”

The travel agents business used to belong to former ward councillor Salim Lorgat, but he only rented the property and moved out three years ago.