SIX men are behind bars awaiting custody for producing cannabis said to have an estimated street value of more than £750,000 at a warehouse near a Morrisons store in Kilmarnock.

The men all pleaded guilty to the same charge during a hearing at the town's sheriff court this week.

Mustaf Veizi (33), Alfred Balliu (37), Albion Deva (24), Edmond Islamay (37) and 24-year-old Arlind Ademaj - all of whom were described in court papers as prisoners at Barlinnie - and 21-year-old Laurent Paci, a prisoner at the Polmont Young Offenders Institution, all admitted producing the controlled drug at an address in the town's West Langland Street.

Police announced earlier this year that officers from their Ayrshire proactive crime team had arrested six men after executing a drugs warrant at the premises at around 10am on Wednesday, January 18.

At the time police said the class B drug had "an estimated street value in excess of £750,000".

Sentence on the men was deferred and they were all returned to custody; they will be brought back to court to be sentenced at a later date.