Elderly couple accidentally grew the biggest cannabis plant police had ever seen

The pensioners, from Bedford, planted the drug in their garden, unaware that what they were growing was illegal. (Reuters)

An elderly couple have accidentally grown a huge cannabis plant, described by police as the largest they have ever seen.

The pensioners, from Bedford, innocently bought a cutting from a car boot sale believing it to be an innocuous shrub.

They planted the cutting in their garden, carefully tending to it until it became a huge bush. The couple were said to have been oblivious to the fact the plant was illegal.

Police officers were said to be astounded when they spotted the plant. They have since collected it and plan to dispose of it, but not before they shared their discovery on Twitter.

Alongside a picture of the bush, Bedford Police tweeted: “Seized today. Elderly couple bought shrub at car boot sale, tended carefully - biggest cannabis plant we had seen.“

A spokesman for the force told the BBC that no action would be taken against the couple.