Prosecuting lawyer David McDowell told Craigavon Crown Court that on October 14 last year, the PSNI helicopter was flying around the Knockmore Road area of Lisburn looking for people taking part in illegal badger baiting when the "surprised" officers spotted the cannabis plants.

He said the find was rather lucky as the field of 99 plants, ranging from small saplings to plants "in excess of seven feet tall; very wide at the bottom and the size of quite large Christmas trees," could only have been seen from the air it was set so far back from the road.

Mr McDowell added that the estimated value of each plant was around £500, with the total value close to £50,000.

The lawyer said police investigating the find spoke to 44-year-old landowner Kevin Cummings.

He told police he had grown the plants and although he initially claimed he would only supply cannabis to friends, he later conceded he would "try to make a couple of pounds for himself".

Cummings, from Hillview Park in Lisburn, pleaded guilty to charges of cultivating cannabis, possessing the class C drug with intent to supply and possession.

Defence lawyer Peter Coyley said it was "more through good fortune" the plants grew as successfully as they did given the fact the seeds were merely planted in the ground and that even the police "were as surprised as anyone".

Suspending "green-fingered" Cummings' one year jail term for two years, Judge Patrick Markey QC commented that "Big Brother watches you from every aspect".

He added: "There must be something in the air in that neck of the woods that these things grew very prolificly and would have a large value."