A YOGA teacher who kicked his alcohol addiction turned instead to drugs and was caught with a cannabis farm at his Wirral home.

When police raided Chris Goryl's house they found a sophisticated commercial set-up with a total of 68 plants which were being used for successive crops, some in propagators.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today that there were two substantial 'mother' plants and a further 66 immature ones being cultivated with a lighting and ventilation system in two growing rooms.

Michael Stephenson, prosecuting, said that the plants had a potential yield of two-and-a-half kilos with a street value of up to £53,000.

His lawyer Gary Lawrenson said that 39-year-old Goryl works as a Hatha yoga instructor, which was a spiritual activity he had become involved with after being warned that his drink habit would keep landing him in prison.

As a result of that warning he undertook acupuncture which led in turn to his interest in yoga and he has since qualified as a teacher.

Some of his pupils include those on alcohol and drug rehabilitation programmes, he added.

Mr Lawrenson said Goryl had swopped his self-medication with alcohol for cannabis and "there is clearly still work to be done with this man."

He is separated from the mother of his two children but they have a platonic relationship and he may take over full-time care of his 12-year-old autistic son to help her deal with a new baby.

He had been out of trouble since 2013, he said.

Judge Rachel Smith sentenced Goryl, of Duke Street, New Brighton, to 16 months imprisonment suspended for 18 hours.

She also ordered him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and to attend up to 20 days rehabilitation activities.

The defendant had pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis on January 8 this year on the basis he intended to sell some of the drug to others.