Police carrying out a drugs raid were stunned to discover a fearsome-looking four-foot caiman guarding a suspected cannabis factory. The crocodilian creature native to South American lakes and marshes has been rescued and handed over to the RSPCA after being found by officers who pounced on a property in Essex.

Officers from Thurrock's Neighbourhood Policing Team say they arrested two people and seized a “significant” cannabis haul, weapons including knives, and a caiman as they executed a warrant on the address in Aveley, near Greys in Essex, on Maundy Thursday. A 36-year-old man, from Purfleet, was arrested on suspicion of production of cannabis, contravention of the Dangerous Wildlife Act and possession of an offensive weapon, while a 35-year-old woman was arrested for the same offences as well as on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs, the force said.

Both have since been released under investigation.

It is understood that the reptile was being kept in a pond in the garden that would normally be used to hold fish, and when a fully grown adult, it would have reached around 13ft in length.

Inspector Dan Selby, from Essex Police, said: “Drugs cause misery in our communities and we work hard to tackle their production and sale.

“We know this matters to the public and we value our neighbourhoods so these issues matter to us. We are also ensuring the welfare of the caiman and have left it in the hands of the RSPCA.”

A caiman is an alligatorid belonging to the subfamily Caimaninae, one of two primary lineages within the Alligatoridae family, the other being alligators.

Caimans are native to Central and South America and inhabit marshes, swamps, lakes, and mangrove rivers.

They have scaly skin and live a fairly nocturnal existence. They are generally not as dangerous to humans as crocodiles or alligators due to their small size, which makes it more difficult for them to attack and engulf larger prey.