Police officers in Waltham Forest have found an illegal plant stashed in a bush on a street sweep.

Officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) in Leyton carried out a sweep of Coronation Gardens, today, where they found what they suspect to be khat.

Last year the plant was re-classified as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

Khat is grown in east African countries where it has historically been used for recreational purposes.

Waltham Forest vowed to work closely with residents in the borough who are known to eat herbal stimulant.

The leafy green plant which comes in a bundle the size of a bottle of wine contains cathinone and cathine which speed up the mind and body.

It can also cause insomnia and suppress your appetite.

Khat decays rapidly after being harvested, with all active ingredients rendered inactive within 5-6 days.