by Paul Hooper

A dozy drugs dealer left behind a huge clue to his identity when he fled police in Cliftonville.

Inside the house in Arthur Road officers found 40 cannabis plants and, next to them, a wallet and driving licence!

When they checked the picture of Charles Euden, they realised it was the same man who had been arrested two months earlier for operating an identical cannabis factory a few miles away.

Canterbury Crown Court heard that Euden, 24, had been nabbed because neighbours had twice suspected break-ins and called the police.

He was jailed for 20 months after admitting two charges of producing cannabis.

Prosecutor Ian Foinette told how in December last year, Euden had been living in Fulham Avenue, Margate.

Police went there after a report of a suspected burglary and found him in bed with his girlfriend.

Mr Foinette added: "They had a look in another room and found cannabis plants growing and a white board with instructions on what to do to the plants with regard to watering.

"It was clear that a semi-commercial operation was going on there and Euden's fingerprints were found near the 46 plants."

The painter and decorator was given police bail and then moved to Cliftonville.

At 6.30pm on February 7, officers were alerted after neighbours saw men trying to smash their way into the house.

Mr Foinette: "Again, officers were called by chance and found a male outside the front door, who was Euden. Another person then ran out of the back and escaped."

Euden was asked to go to the police car but ran away. Inside the property, officers found "all the trappings of a factory operation", as well as his wallet and driver's licence with photograph, the court heard.

Euden was arrested when he turned up at the police station in March to answer his bail for the first offence.

Defending barrister Alex Rooke said others had "stumped up the money" to set up the factory - and Euden's 50 per cent cut of the yield would have been used to feed his cannabis habit.