An artistic interpretation of the doorway to a cannabis factory which police found inside a wardrobe. Graphic: Annette Hudson.

In the beloved Chronicles of Narnia novels by CS Lewis, a magical land of talking animals hides inside a normal wardrobe.

Entrance to a hidden cannabis growing room at a house in Mile Cross Lane Norwich which was discovered by police.

However, when officers from Norwich police took a peek inside this wardrobe in a city garage they made a discovery of a murkier kind. For hidden inside the red, 6ft tall piece of furniture, was a secret doorway, which led to the discovery of illegal cannabis being cultivated. The doorway, which was covered by a curtain, led into a darkened room, where equipment used in the cultivation of the class B drug was discovered.

This then led officers to find more than 30 young cannabis plants which were inside the main property, in Mile Cross Lane.

Following the discovery on Tuesday morning, officers from the Norwich North policing team arrested and formally cautioned a 37-year-old man and seized the drugs and equipment.

Today, Insp Gary Brotherhood, from the Norwich North safer neightbourhood team, said: “Officers carried out this warrant acting on intelligence from the local community.

Cannabis plants found in the loft of a house in Mile Cross Lane, Norwich which was discovered by police.

“While only a small amount of cannabis was recovered, the action sends a clear message that illegal drug activity will not be tolerated and that information passed to police will be acted on.”

In total, there were 33 plants discovered growing in the loft of the house, all of which were approximately two weeks old.

A fan, transformer, lighting equipment, extractor fan and plant fertilizer were also seized from the address.

The man was arrested at the scene and taken to Aylsham Police Investigation Centre for questioning on Tuesday morning.

Following interview, he was given a formal police caution for cannabis cultivation.

It’s not the first time cannabis has been doscovered in a bizarre way by police in Norwich. Several years ago a cannabis growing operation in the city was uncovered when only one property in a street of snow-covered houses had melted snow on the roof, a tell-tale sign of the drug being cultivated.

- If you have concerns about illegal drug activity in your area, contact your local safer neighbourhood team by calling the non-emergency 101 number.

- Have you got a crime story for the Evening News? Contact crime correspondent Peter Walsh on 01603 772436 or peter.walsh@archant.co.uk