A property owned by a Premier League footballer has been taken over by a gang and turned into a cannabis farm.

The criminal enterprise forced the tenant to let them grow cannabis, it has been claimed.

During the police raid of the home, the unidentified footballer was forced to prove his innocence to avoid being charged.

“This player owns the house in the north west as part of a buy-to-let empire. Another family member manages the properties but they couldn’t believe it when cops found a large-scale cannabis farm,”

“The plants were taken away and destroyed and the player had to show paperwork to prove that while he was the owner of the property, he had someone else living in it.”

Luckily for both the footballer and the tenant were cleared of any charges after police concluded that the tenant had been unwittingly manipulated by the criminal gang.

If landlords fail to report any suspicion of illegal activity, they can also be liable and face a similar punishment, while rental income can be seized thanks to the Proceeds of Crime Act.