A 'CHRONIC' cannabis user grew his own supply of the drug for economic reasons, a court heard.

Police found 34 flowering cannabis plants, plus lighting, heating, watering and other growing equipment in a bedroom at Lee Walker's home, in Victor Street, Chester-le-Street.

Durham Crown Court heard that the estimated plant yield in street drug values was £1,550.

The officers also found 121 diazapam tablets and a CS gas canister in the search, on April 7 last year.

Stephanie Donington, prosecuting, said: "It was always his case that he was growing it for his own use and the Crown would not seek to disprove that."

Miss Donington said the electricity meter, in a kitchen cabinet, was found to have been tampered, enabling Walker to acquire an estimated 1,600-worth of 'free' supply.

The court heard the supply company was taking separate action to recover the money.

Miss Donington said Walker admitted having also supplied 500 tranquilliser tablets for £190 to a woman who approached him seeking help to overcome post-natal depression.

He told police he was a "chronic" cannabis user, smoking up to 25 joints a day, and began growing his own plants as he could not afford to buy that amount of the drug.

Walker told police he carried the gas canister for "protection".

Tony Davis, mitigating, said Walker's "full and frank admissions" were a "refreshing" feature of the case.

Mr Davis said, but for his arrest, Walker would have carried on leading, "this rather lonely and isolated existence, living on benefits, rarely going out and, smoking a great deal of cannabis".

Walker, 37, admitted producing cannabis, possession of a class C drug with intent to supply, abstracting electricity and possessing a prohibited weapon.

Describing Walker as, "a long term abuser of illegal substances", Recorder Anthony Kelbrick said he would take an "extraordinary" course due to his "mental health requirements", which would best be treated in the community.

He imposed a two-year probation supervision order, the first six months of which will feature an electronically-tagged night-time home curfew.

Recorder Kelbrick also ordered destruction of all the recovered drugs, the growing equipment and the canister.