SIX bin bags packed with thousands of pounds worth of cannabis have been found dumped off a motorway slip road.

Two Highways Agency traffic officers carrying out a routine morning patrol spotted the bags near junction 62 of the A1(M) at Carville, in County Durham, and mistook it for household waste.

The bags were on an embankment, in full view of rush-hour commuters on the busy North-South route, as Paul Brewis and Debbie Woods pulled over to investigate, off the junction's southbound exit, at about 8am yesterday. Assuming they contained fly-tipped rubbish, the officers called in contractors to take them away and continued with their patrol.

It was only when the contractors opened the bags that the drugs were found.

They contacted the Highways Agency control room, reporting a find with suspicious contents, before control room staff alerted Durham Police.

Mr Brewis said: "It was a shock.

"We had left the rubbish with the contractors to clear away and the next thing we heard over our radio was that it was suspected to be cannabis.

"It's not the kind of thing you come across every day as a traffic officer.

"We are more used to dealing with road traffic collisions or dangerous debris on the road."

Police removed the bags and removed them for tests.

Cannabis can vary in price, but an ounce of resin costs an average of £43, recent research suggests.

Inspector Paul Etherington, of Durham Police, said: "I can confirm that six bags were found. The bags were full of cannabis plants.

"No vehicles were found with them and there is no indication there was anything else found there. We recovered the bags into police custody. This happened at about 8.51am.

"We will now be testing the cannabis and the bags to try to find who they belong to."

Police are appealing for anyone with information about the dumped drugs to call them on 0845-60-60-365 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.