Search: Cannabis factory electricity
Almost 50 homes suffered power cuts for up to 16 hours after their electricity was diverted to power a cannabis factory.
The transformer that supplies power to the homes in Drinsey Nook near Lincoln failed after a cable was wedged into it to divert electricity to an outbuilding on a nearby travellers' site, the power company said.
Central Networks alerted police after they found that the transformer had been tampered with, a spokesman said.
When Nottinghamshire Police attended they discovered 1,300 cannabis plants in the outbuilding at the Sheffield Road site on Tuesday.
The electricity was being used to power the equipment used to cultivate the drug, police said. Part of the building was later destroyed by a fire.
A Central Networks spokesman said that those responsible for diverting the electricity had been risking their lives.
He said: "Not only was it a huge inconvenience to the 46 customers who were without power, some for 16 hours, but it was also very dangerous to do this. People tampering with the network is a huge problem across the country for us and other suppliers, but this is a fairly unusual incident."
An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way.
