A 39-year-old man has denied growing 312 cannabis plants worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Joseph Upton, of Murrow Lane in Parson Drove, near Wisbech, is accused of growing 265 cannabis plants on April 1 last year and of growing a further 47 plants on November 21 last year.

Mr Upton is also charged with handling a stolen Compass Omega caravan worth �16,000 between October 29, 2009 and April 1, 2011 and handling a stolen Kioti tractor, worth �11,000, between April 13, 2010 and April 1, 2012.

He pleaded not guilty to all four charges when he appeared at King's Lynn Magistrates' Court this afternoon (Thursday).

Alison Cotterill, prosecuting, said the plants had been found during two police searches at a shed last year, along with instruction manuals and eqipment to help the class B drug to grow.

The 265 plants had an estimated street value of �104,000, while the 47 plants discovered last November were valued at between �9,000 and �27,000, the court heard.

Mr Upton was granted conditional bail to appear at Cambridge Magistrates' Court on October 18, when the case will be sent to the crown court.