A DISUSED toilet on a traveller site was being used as a cannabis factory when officers swooped and seized the illegal plants.

About 20 officers raided a traveller site in Cleeve Prior near Evesham this morning while a police helicopter hovered overhead.

Dogs barked and someone shouted, "Give me the warrant!" and "We want to make a complaint!" as officers made a shock raid on the site.

Officers from both West Mercia Police and Warwickshire Police used the enforcer and a hooligan bar to batter and prise their way into the disused toilet and another building on the site.

In the disused toilet they discovered 19 cannabis plants and growing kit.

A sniffer dog was also brought in to make sure officers had missed nothing during the raid, part of Operation Cordon.

Officers, who carried out the raid following a tip-off, said the plants had a potential yield of £57,000 a year (working on the basis that each plant had a yield of £3,000).

Of the plants 14 were semi-mature and five were younger plants.

The plants were uprooted and placed in evidence bags together with other production paraphernalia including fans and heat lamps.

No arrests were made but officers will work on forensically linking the plants to suspects.

During the raid a woman, who declined to be named, said to officers: "You're killing them plants. It's murder. Leave us a couple of buds for a spliff. I use the heat lamps to get a suntan. Don't manhandle the plants. Someone has looked after them for a long time."

The situation between the officers and the site residents was tense to begin with as a woman demanding officers show her a search warrant but she was told the plots being searched were not hers.

Another woman could be seen filming the police raid on a tablet.

One man, speaking to one of the officers, said: "You don't like me and I don't like you. We can get just as many people as you and a lot nastier. Me and you will be having it out some time."

As the officers continued the search the atmosphere became less hostile and the tension was diffused with residents gathering nearby to watch the search.

One of the travellers, Ricky Johnson, offered officers peanut butter sandwiches.

He said: "The Johnsons have been very co-operative. The police are welcome at the site but not as a militant force."

Jimmy Johnson told police he did not know about the cannabis plants.

"How the plants got past me I don't know."

He added: "I am grateful the officers acted in a respectful way, and their behaviour was well-mannered."

Detective sergeant Ian Shearer of Warwickshire Police said: "It's a good result. It sends a message. People can't grow cannabis. It's illegal and they will be investigated by police if they do it."

Those with information about drugs can call West Mercia Police on 101.