They hope the pictures, showing the location of the factory near a quiet country road, will bring more evidence forward.

Investigations so far show that the containers were reached through an underground passageway and the production may have continued for several years.

The value of the cannabis has not yet been assessed accurately, but it is expected to be ten of thousands of pounds.

Police discovered what could turn out to be one of the biggest cannabis factories in the UK near Burgess Hill last Wednesday.

Eight steel containers for the operation were buried underground at the land off Cuckfield Road, between the A2300 and Ansty.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "On March 24 this year a believed 'drugs factory' was located on land close to Leigh Water Mill Farm on Cuckfield Road, between Ansty and the A2300 Hickstead area.

"The factory consists of eight large cargo units being submerged underground where illegal drugs were produced. The units were buried deliberately underground and were accessible by a surface unit identical to those underground. The site is close to Cuckfield Road.

"The site appears to have been deliberately generated for this purpose and the undertaking of such an operation would have been significant in terms of the moving of cargo containers and submerging them under earth along with arranging for a strong generator power supply for heat and energy etc.

"This is clearly the undertaking of more than one person and the site has been in location for a period of time and would have taken a fair period of time to construct.

"The site is currenlty under Police guard and is the subject of ongoing examination and forensic work and Police anticipate being there for a period yet.

Mid Sussex CID are running the investigation and witnesses or persons with info can call 0845 etc or crimestoppers anonymously.

No-one has been arrested but police are continuing investigations.

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