Couple find cannabis farm during romantic stroll in London park
A COUPLE enjoying a romantic Saturday stroll in a London park accidentally walked into an enormous CANNABIS farm.
The happy couple both posed for photographs with the knee-high cannabis plants
Shocked Oscar Lerin was walking with his girlfriend – who asked not to be identified – looking for mushrooms in Epping Forest when the lovebirds stumbled onto the shocking discovery.
The 35-year-old engineer found more than 70 professionally cultivated adult marijuana plants in the hidden cannabis farm.
The happy couple both posed for photographs with the knee-high cannabis plants – laughing and holding the leaves in front of their faces.
The farm of Class-B plant just metres from a school in Bunces Lane, Woodford Green, in Essex.
After their impromptu photoshoot, the amused couple continued on their walk.
Oscar Lerin's girlfriend – who did not want her identity revealed – laughs with a marijuana plant
We never expected to see something like that in a public forest
Engineer Oscar, from Essex, said: "It was funny.
"We couldn't believe it. We were like 'really? is this real?'
"We never expected to see something like that in a public forest.
"We like nature and we went to Epping Forest to have a walk and have a look at mushrooms and identify them.
"We were just walking and walking and I looked around and I thought this looks like marijuana plantation.
"The smell was really strong so I knew it could be nothing else.
"It was very close to the path and just near it really, behind a big bush.
"I think there was around 60 or 70 plants and it covered quite a large area - about 15 or 20 square metres.
"The soil was different.
"We had a look and there was a sheet of plastic on the ground and the different soil was on top and the plants were in there."
The park is a former royal forest on the border between north-east Greater London and Essex and managed by City of London Corporation.
A City of London and Essex Police spokesperson both said they were unable to comment on the matter.
"We can't comment at the moment as it's a police matter," she cautioned.