CANNABIS plants capable of producing up to £25,000-worth of the drug have been seized by police.

Officers seized 25 plants during a raid on a house on Moor Crescent, in Ludworth, near Durham, on Saturday afternoon.

An extensive hydroponics system which by-passed the electricity meter and was being used to cultivate the plants was also seized.

A man, aged 39, and a woman, aged 34, were arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and taken to Durham City police station for questioning.

They were released on police bail pending further enquiries.

The raid follows another earlier this month also in Ludworth, during which 24 plants and hydroponics equipment was seized.

Again a man and a woman were arrested, questioned and released on bail.

PC Neil Ovington, who led the raids, said both were carried out on the basis of information supplied by members of the community.

"Police will act on information the public provides and criminals engaging in this kind of activity should be very worried.

"They can no longer hid unnoticed within their neighbourhoods and it will only be a matter of time before they are caught."