Cocaine and amphetamines worth about £200,000 were seized from a rural industrial unit after a suspicious landlord prised the door open, a court heard.

In a statement to Hove Crown Court, David Allen said he let the £90-a-week unit at Stonecross Farm, Laughton, near Lewes, to a man calling himself Frank Johnston in October last year.

He said Mr Johnston, from Newhaven, claimed to be a marine engineer going through a messy divorce who needed space to store his equipment.

Mr Allan said he paid three months' rent in advance but seemed to disappear last January. When a letter and phone calls went unanswered he decided to force the padlocked door of the unit to see if it was still being used.

Inside he found drums full of white powder, which was later identified as caffeine, an industrial press, vacuum-packing equipment and several packed blocks of pink and white powder.

Police were called and recovered almost half a kilo of cocaine and 14 kilos of amphetamines.

Sven de Cauter, 29, of West Quay, Newhaven, John Morgan, 41, of Central Avenue, Telscombe Cliffs, and Dean Cumberpatch, 34, from Nottinghamshire, deny charges of conspiracy to supply cocaine and amphetamines.

All three are linked to the drugs factory through fingerprints and DNA, the court heard.

Detective Sergeant Tony Pike, of Sussex Police drug squad, told the court they had discovered a major drugs cutting and packaging plant.

He said the caffeine was used to bulk out the amphetamine before it was sold on the street.

It was mixed with the drugs using the food mixers and then compacted using the press, he added.

Police also discovered quantities of creatine at the unit, which is used for mixing with cocaine.

Sgt Pike said: "I am 100 per cent satisfied this was an ongoing operation and the large quantities of caffeine found in the drums must have been there waiting to be mixed with a further batch of amphetamine."

The court also heard from PC Paul Critchfield, who said he searched de Cauter's home when he was arrested and discovered a number of false identification documents.

The trial continues.