A PERTH man has admitted allowing a disused church in Forfar to be used as a cannabis farm.

Calum Bruce Menzies (46), Scott Street, Perth, pleaded guilty to “knowingly permitting or suffering” St James’s Church in Forfar to be used to produce the class C drug when he appeared before Forfar Sheriff Court yesterday.

More than 100 plants—with a potential street value of up to £16,000—were found at the former church when police raided it in June 2007 after a tip-off.

The court heard that on entering the church, which Menzies had owned since 2000, officers discovered two make-shift “rooms” in the centre of the main hall.

One room contained 64 cannabis plants, while the other housed 40. Both rooms were surrounded by plastic and contained heating and lighting.

Depute fiscal Donna Brown said no one was in the church at the time of the raid.

Subsequent warrants and investigations led police to the homes of the church’s two key-holders, one of which was Menzies and his wife, while the other belonged to a former co- accused in the case who has since had all charges dropped.

During questioning Menzies said the church was used for storage of motorbikes and other equipment and that this was a “long term project,” which meant he visited the church infrequently.

He had said he had last been in the church in January or February 2007.

“It did, however, come to his attention on June 17 by his wife, who visited the church and noticed that bikes had been moved,” said Ms Brown.

“She saw what was going on and from that date he (Menzies) was aware that cannabis cultivation was going on and he did nothing about it.”

Menzies pleaded guilty to the charge of allowing the production of cannabis cultivation at the church between June 17 and June 21, the day of the police raid.

The case was adjourned until January 29 for social inquiry and social service reports.