SURPRISE packages were discovered ditched in the Brentwood countryside... in the form of three waist-high bags of cannabis!

A walker tweeted Essex Police to say she had noticed suspicious bags in a ditch on Weald Road, at the junction of Coxtie Green Road, and a “strong smell” drifiting nearby.

When town PSCO Matt Grimwood went down to have a look, he found three big brown bags stuffed full of the Class B drug in plant form, with a street value of thousands of pounds.

PSCO Grimwood said: “The bags were soaking wet and there was quite a potent smell coming from them.

“I have found discarded drug bags before but I was surprised to see how much cannabis was in each bag.

“They had not been there for that long as the smell being emitted from them was still strong.”

However, PSCO Grimwood said anyone who spots a suspicious package lying around should get in contact with police immediately.

He added: “Unfortuantly it is doubtful that we’ll find the people who threw the bags into the ditch.

“But despite this I would urge anyone who sees a bag unattended whether it be in a ditch or another location to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“Even if it turns out to nothing, we will always go and investigate to be on the safe side.”