IT was snow joke for two Old Hill cannabis growers when they were jailed after a police helicopter spotted their roof was the only one in the neighbourbood without any white stuff on top.

The heating system used to grow the cannabis plants had melted all the snow and after been tipped off by their airbourne colleagues officers found a crop of the illegal drug.

Michael Cresswell and Stephen Smith set up the illegal operation while they were both subject to suspended prison sentences - for growing cannabis in the same house.

Judge Michael Challinor slammed the pair as they had been in court "again and again" for offences relating to their drug abuse.

He said: "It is quite persistent and previous sentences have done nothing to deter either of you from doing it again.

"You both played a significant role in this latest offence."

Smith, 31, and Cresswell, 28, both of Waggon Street admitted producing cannabis, a controlled drug.

Cresswell further admitted possessing a small amount of cocaine and also damaging a police car after his arrest by officers.

Mr Stephen Thomas prosecuting said police went to the house and found 15 cannabis plants being grown inside a cupboard while there were a further five plants in a bedroom.

He told Wolverhampton Crown Court that Cresswell became aggressive as he was arrested and he kicked out and kept spitting in the police car which had to be cleaned.

The two brothers, added Mr Thomas, both had a number of previous convictions involving drugs and at the time of the offence they were both on suspended prison sentences for cultivating cannabis.

Cresswell was jailed for four months for the offences and ordered by the Judge to serve a further four months for breaching the suspended sentence.

Smith was jailed for 14 weeks with a further 14 weeks for the breach which, said the Judge, would mean his earlier release because like his brother he had already spent three months in custody on remand.