A CATHOLIC priest is being watched by police around the clock after they uncovered a field of cannabis he claims is a gift from God.

Father Cyril Papudov, of Petrich, Bulgaria, has been arrested seven times but police have never caught him actually cultivating the crop.

He claims the cannabis seeded by itself and is part of God’s gift of nature and nothing to do with him.

A police insider said: “There has been a great deal of suspicion over the years about what is going on with these plants.

“He is a man of the cloth and so a lot of people don’t want to think badly of him but frankly if someone has a huge crop of cannabis in their back garden it’s highly unlikely they are just sitting there admiring its horticultural properties.”

Police are now planning a 24-hour surveillance operation.

The police insider added: “Although the man involved is a member of the clergy we feel this surveillance is necessary.

“By keeping a watch on the plants we can make sure this is the case and put an end to any suspicions over the purpose of these plants once and for all.”

Popularity: 1% [?]