Three men have appeared in court after police raided houses in Costessey and Bowthorpe and found cannabis worth hundreds of thousands of pounds growing inside.

Officers executed a warrant at a property in Middleton Crescent, Costessey, at around 8.30am on Thursday and found almost 600 plants with a street value of around £500,000.

A police spokesman said the incident is believed to be linked to the discovery of more than 200 cannabis plants at an address in Braitwait Close, Bowthorpe, which also followed a raid carried out by officers at about 9am on Thursday.

Following the Costessey raid, local people spoke of their surprise at the police activity.

Ashley Bond, a 46-year-old post office worker, was in his living room when the raid happened and said he could feel the battering ram through the walls.

He said: "I've seen a drugs raid on television before but never on my doorstep, which was a different experience.

"But now the police are here I feel safe. I also think as they are being proactive people will now think twice before doing something like this again."

Mary, 34, who also did not want to give her surname, said she had seen police in the area several times over the past few weeks.

She said: "It was different this morning as there were forensics everywhere and people running in and out with white suits. I first of all thought someone had died as it just looked like a massive crime scene."

Stacy, 32, who did not want to give her surname, said she had no idea there was a drugs factory nearby and only ever caught the occasional whiff of cannabis.

She added: "Whoever it was kept themselves to themselves as I had no clue it was going on."

* Klevi Haxhaj, 24, and Ditmir Avdia, 28, both of no fixed abode, were charged on suspicion of the production of cannabis, and abstracting electricity.

Neither entered pleas at Norwich Magistrates Court and the cases were sent to Norwich Crown Court on March 27 and both were remanded in custody.

Ardit Ademaj, 24, of no fixed address, was also arrested over the Bowthorpe incident and charged with the production of cannabis and appeared before Norwich Magistrates Court on Friday.

Magistrates sent the case to Norwich Crown Court on March 27.

Ademaj was remanded in custody.