Blackpool hotel's rooms had '˜drugs worth £500,000'

The defendants, from Vietnam, are said to been growing the drugs in the Avente Hotel, Albert Road, with seven rooms each containing up to 100 cannabis plants and one room containing 50 plants.

Bui Nghia, 42, and Nam Tien Nguyen, 45, who gave the Avente Hotel as their address, are charged with producing cannabis and illegally using electricity on December 6.

The court proceedings were relayed to the defendants by an interpreter via a telephone language line through speakerphone.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said it was alleged the case involved commercial cultivation of cannabis. Patrick Nelligan, defending, said they would not indicate pleas to the offences at that stage. The defendants were remanded in custody to appear at Preston Crown Court on January 10 by Blackpool magistrates.