Five men have been jailed for running a £1.4m cannabis factory in West Lothian.

Hung Nguyen, 31, Ho Cuong, 24, Nguyen Phong, 22, Wei Nguyen, 28, and Bui Nam, 38 were caught following an increase in electricity usage at a former clothing factory in West Calder.

Police discovered 850 plants inside the premises at Polbeth Industrial Estate.

All five Asian men - who were living in the UK illegally - pleaded guilty to producing the Class B drug at the industrial unit between 11 July and 25 September 2024. They were jailed for a total of 17 years and three months.

At the High Court in Glasgow, Judge Lord Summers jailed Hung Nguyen, Wei Nguyen and Bui Nam for three years and seven months each.

Ho Cuong was sentenced to four years, while Nguyen Phong received two years and six months.

The judge said: "You operated the cannabis farm in question and you tended to the cannabis plants as was appropriate.

"As you all know, you are illegal immigrants and after you have served your sentence, I anticipate you will be deported."

The court heard a man had taken a lease on the property but had not started operations when he was made aware of a substantial increase in the consumption of power.

He went to the premises at the DAKS building in the industrial estate but found the locks to the main door had been changed.

Advocate depute Iain McSporran KC told the court: "Upon entering he observed a substantial and well-established cannabis cultivation."

The five men, who were living on the premises, fled but the man who leased the unit called the police.

All five were arrested and charged in connection with drugs offences.

Police found the premises were split into three separate growing areas.

Expert officers said the crop of 850 plants had the potential to produce cannabis worth a maximum of £1,419,500.

They added it had the hallmarks of a professional drug cultivation enterprise which would have required a significant financial investment to set it up.

It would also need skilled workers to grow large quantities of high quality cannabis.

The court heard Hung Nguyen, Ho Cuong, Nguyen Phong - who was on bail at the time - and Wei Nguyen were paying back a debt.

Nam said after he was detained by police: "I was made to work. They brought me here."

Defending Nam, Lynsey Morgan said he believed he was coming to Scotland to start a cleaning job.

"His involvement was borne out of economic necessity," she said.

Jonathan Price KC, defending Wei Nguyen, earlier told the court the man thought that he would be growing tea.

Price added: "He quickly realised it was not tea - it was cannabis."