BUDGIES are thought to be to blame for a cannabis crop growing in a Lydney garden.
A concerned reader of The Forester contacted the paper to say they had seen dozens of 6ft high plants growing in the back garden of an empty bungalow off Klondyke Avenue. On Saturday the plants could clearly be seen in an overgrown section behind the empty property.
A neighbour living next to the property said the former occupier had pet budgies in aviaries at the back of his garden which could be to blame for the unusual vegetation. It is thought hemp seed given to the birds as food had fallen to the ground and started to grow.
The type of hemp seed sold for bird food is treated so that plants cannot grow from them, but the owner of a Cinderford pet shop said that nevertheless seeds could still germinate.
Chief Inspector Phil Haynes said: "Officers will be visiting the location, and if it appears that the plants have been deliberately cultivated we will try and find the person responsible.
"Otherwise the plants will simply be removed and destroyed."