TRIAL: Four men deny production of cannabis

The trial has started of four men accused of having a cannabis den in Maidenhead town centre.

Wen He, 23 and Guo Bin Huang,32, both of, Colonnade, Maidenhead; Siqiang Wu of Canterbury Place, London and Ji He, of no fixed address are all charged with the production of cannabis.

Police raided a property above Ladbrokes betting shop in Queen Street on June 23 and discovered a stockpile of the drug.

During police interview Mr Wu revealed he was the proprietor of the Wu Tang restaurant in The Colonnade, Maidenhead.

They appeared at Reading Crown Court yesterday alongside four interpreters who translated the proceedings into Mandarin for them. They have all denied the charge against them.

Robert Spencer-Bernard prosecuting opened his case and showed the jury CCTV footage of two of the defendants who tried to escape by jumping from a ledge on the first floor above the shop, but injured themselves and were arrested.

He also showed them photographs of the flat filled with cannabis. He told the court all the men 'must have known' that cannabis was being produce at the flat.

Their trial is expected to last until next Wednesday. All four remain in custody.

The trial continues.