Acting on intelligence, seven police officers forced their way into the three bedroomed detached house in Hazel Grove at around 10am on Monday but found no-one at the property.

Wayne Holley, of Lincolnshire Police Intelligence Unit, said there was evidence that crops had been harvested and were being grown on again. He said the value per crop on the street would be in the region of £200,000.

He said the property had been rented for several months but no-one was there when they entered the property and they were ‘actively seeking’ someone.

It is believed the man, understood to be Vietnamese, left the house last Friday.

The house had been extensively kitted out as a cannabis factory, with illegally connected electricity power lines going into the house and fans and air ducts to take out the humidity.

Forensic experts said the power cables would have increased the fire risk by 24 times, compared to a normal domestic house.

Neighbour David Slater, who lives opposite, said it was ‘unbelievable’.

“I thought it was a bit funny that the curtains were always closed,” he said. “I only saw him once. He appeared to be Oriental. You don’t expect this on your own doorstep, do you?”