A MUM has been prosecuted after she allowed her teenage son to set up a cannabis factory in their loft.

She said she believed the drug was for her son's personal use, but Nottingham Crown Court heard he also intended to sell some of it to cover costs.

The plan was uncovered after police searched the house in Broxtowe Estate.

The 40-year-old mother was given a nine-month community sentence after she pleaded guilty to permitting the premises to be used for the production of cannabis.

Her son, who was 16 at the time, had previously pleaded guilty to producing the drug at youth court, and was given a 10-month referral order.

Judge Jonathan Teare told her: "Your failure was not being strong enough and not being inquisitive enough as to what your son was doing."

But the judge said he had to consider the sentence already given to her son.

"He hasn't been sent away for it so I'm not going to send you away for it," he told her. When police searched the house on October 15 last year they found growing equipment including lights and 330g of cannabis which had already been harvested and was drying out.

"She accepted she had permitted her son to grow that cannabis," said John Fountain, prosecuting.

Further drugs were found on top of the woman's bedroom wardrobe. They were not tested by police, but in interview she said they were amphetamines for her own personal use. She also pleaded guilty to attempted possession of amphetamines in connection with this.

In mitigation, Michael Evans, said: "It was accepted she was aware her son was growing cannabis, which she believed was for his own personal use, for which she was going to receive no benefit."

The mum's two young daughters also lived in the home where the cannabis was being grown.

She was given nine-month sentences for both offences, to run concurrently.