A GANG threatened to hurt the family of a Musselburgh man if he did not set up a 54-plant cannabis farm in his home.

Ross Axon was befriended by one man before being told that, if he did not agree to the request, his family would be hurt.

Axon, who lived at Macbeth Moir Road but has since moved to live with his parents, was then set up with the equipment and a total of 54 plants were installed at the Musselburgh flat.

The illegal operation was rumbled after 29-year-old Axon received information from the local authority informing him of an upcoming “routine council visit”.

He replied to council official Chris McLeod by email, claiming that “he was being made to do something” against his will.

Mr McLeod attended the property that evening, accompanied by the police.

The cultivation was discovered and Axon was arrested by the police and subsequently charged.

Axon admitted two charges of possessing and producing cannabis at the Musselburgh address on March 21 last year when he appeared in the dock at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Fiscal depute Anthony Steele told the court that Mr McLeod received the email from Axon on March 21 last year, where Axon claimed he was “an easy target” for the gangsters.

Mr Steele said: “The witness McLeod raised concerns with the police and attended the locus at 6pm on March 21.

“The accused permitted entry to police and they immediately detected a strong smell of cannabis.

“They also noted the accused was extremely nervous and stated: ‘They made me do it, what could I do about it?’”

Officers then discovered the “fully operational cannabis cultivation” in a bedroom and Axon was detained and taken to Dalkeith Police Station.

A small amount of cannabis was also found in the living room of the property.

Defence agent Matthew Nicholson told the court that his client was “being forced to do something he didn’t want to do” and claimed that the gang had told him they would “hurt his mum” if he did not comply.

Mr Nicholson added: “This came to light after the accused emailed the council saying he was being forced to do something he didn’t want to do and wanted help.

“When the police attended he was in a very distressed state, claiming he was sorry and they were going to hurt his mum.

“An individual who is known to the police befriended him and gained his trust. He asked if he would look after two cannabis plants. Then a number of individuals from England attended his address with a large number of cannabis plants and threatened the accused and his family.

“He has been used, reported himself to the police and has co-operated fully with police.”

Mr Nicholson added that Axon had “found the whole procedure harrowing”.

Sheriff Thomas Welsh has deferred the sentence to February 9 for the preparation of background reports.