A MAN caught growing cannabis has been spared jail after a judge said he had "earned," the right to keep his freedom.

Judge Raymond Bennett had deferred sentence on Ranjiv Thind to see if he could keep out of trouble and the defendant succeeded.

The judge told Thind he had done everything asked of him and he was very pleased about that, as not many people did.

Thind, of Edward Street, Haslingden, was given a 12 month community rehabilitation order.

He had earlier admitted cultivating cannabis.

Burnley Crown Court had been told that in September last year, police raided a house in Whalley Road, Accrington.

They found and seized 33 large cannabis plants and a full hydroponics system.

Nobody was at the property.

The next morning, the defendant attended Accrington police station and was arrested and cautioned accused of cultivating drugs.

Thind was the sole of occupier of the house.

He was interviewed on tape and admitted growing the drugs. He said they were for his own use.