Drakelow Tunnels caretaker found guilty over cannabis farm

A jury returned a majority verdict finding Wayne Robinson of Markpool Lane, Kidderminster, guilty of permitting premises to be used for producing cannabis.

The underground World War II military complex, between Kinver and Kidderminster, was raided by police on November 27, 2013, where 564 flowering mature cannabis plants were discovered in a main growing room.

A further 321 immature non-flowering plants were found split across two further rooms.

Around 30 police officers, including dog handlers, took part in the raid. Besides the plants, they discovered hydroponic equipment, including heating, lighting and ventilation fans, used in the cultivation of the drug.

The tunnels are a well known spot located under Kingford Country Park, which during the Second World War were used as a manufacturing base, before later being turned into a designated government bunker in the event of a nuclear attack

Robinson, who acted as caretaker of the site owned by his brother and also had his own logging business nearby, denied any knowledge of the cannabis factory.

Instead he claimed that he had rented that part of the tunnels to two men for storing car parts. He said that he only knew these men as Thomas and Fabian, and that they rented the section of the site from him for £200 a month.

He had also argued that had he known about the huge cannabis farm he would not have allowed hundreds of visitors to get unlimited access to the tunnels for events.

These included Evil Rising between July 18 and 21, 2013, when more than 300 people were chased by more than 25 to 30 actors dressed as monsters around the underground complex.

Judge Abbas Mithani QC said: "This is an extremely serious offence, to allow premises to be used for the production of very dangerous drugs which are intended to be sold to members of the public."

Addressing Robinson directly, Judge Mithani added: "It is more than likely there will be a custodial sentence. You must expect to see custody."

Following a pre-sentence report Robinson is due to be sentenced on a date yet to be fixed in July. At the same time he will also be sentenced for possession of a shotgun and ammunition without the valid certificates which he had earlier admitted.

Robinson was granted bail.