POLICE seized a large quantity of cannabis after stumbling on it almost by accident.

Officers were called to a property in Winchester after a neighbour smelled the distinctive drugs smell and phoned them.

Officers discovered the drugs when they knocked on the door in Grange close, St Cross, initially to offer advice to the householder.

PC Matt Greenstreet said: "It was the biggest quantity of drugs I have ever come across. We had to remove it in bin bags."

The exact amount has yet to be collated after the operation started at 10pm on Friday.

The quantity will be weighed in kilos and the police also seized several thousand pounds in cash.

A man aged 25 and a woman aged 26 were arrested on suspicion of supplying cannabis and have since been released under investigation.

A two-foot long 'zombie' knife was also seized in the incident.

PC Greenstreet added: "It all came from a phone call to us from a neighbour who had smelled cannabis. We went to have a chat; we were not expecting anything big. It reinforces the importance of community intelligence."

Several residents said they saw police activity outside the blocks of flats at the end of the road.

One woman who asked not to be named, said; “My daughter said she saw a police car drive by the house on Saturday morning. It’s the most exciting thing that has ever happened here."

A man said: "We have lived in a two or three different places and this is the nicest place we have lived. It’s a very quiet and friendly close.”