ORGANISED criminals planted an illegal Chinese immigrant in East Lancashire to be their 'gardener' at a £100,000 cannabis factory, a court heard.

The 'vulnerable and isolated' Mandarin-speaker was a 'slave and plaything' for the traffickers.

Now he is starting a two-year jail term for cultivating cannabis.

Wei Lin helped set up the 'highly professional and sophisticated' operation at the former Derby Arms, Scotland Road, Nelson.

He was paid £320 a week to water the 1,074 potent plants.

Eight year ago, the traffickers had brought Lin, 27, to this country so he could work to pay off a debt to them.

He also had gambling debts and was living 'a shadow existence' in the premises, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Sentencing, Judge Christopher Cornwall said Lin's story was all too familiar and added: "It is an extremely prevalent activity, particularly in the North West of England."

He said once in the hands of the organised gangs who brought them here, illegal immigrants never really escaped their clutches.

Judge Cornwall said: "In doing what you did you are inevitably playing a vital role in the ultimate distribution of cannabis, albeit the very considerable profit would have gone to others."

Lin, of no fixed address, admitted cultivating cannabis between last October and January.

Judge Cornwall recommended he be deported, but the court was told by Lin's barrister he might not be as a Chinese Government did not want criminals back.

The defendant will stay in custody after his sentence has finished until the Home Office makes a decision, the court heard.

The court was told the former Derby Arms had been acquired by a local Chinese businessman in October last year and he leased it to a man who was seemingly responsible for setting up the factory, but who subsequently disappeared.

'Every square inch' of the pub was being used for the growing of drugs with heating, lighting and 'colossal amounts' of stolen electricity being used after the metre was by-passed.

Philip Holden, prosecuting, told the court at about 9am on January 29 police went to the boarded-up pub and could smell cannabis.

Police found nine rooms including the bar were being used for growing cannabis. The defendant ran downstairs in only his underwear and was arrested.

Mr Holden said the premises were searched and officers discovered a total 1,074 plants and 61 lamps.

The plants were scientifically analysed and experts said had they been harvested they would have produced 18.5 kilos of cannabis worth a potential £100,000 on the streets.

A further 1,000 cuttings were also found.

Lin told police he had been working at the Derby Arms for two months and that he believed he was growing herbs for Chinese medicine.

Robert Elias, defending, said Lin had been 'used and milked' to pay back the organised criminals who brought him here.