Cannabis farm reported to police 'weeks' before fire

Residents have said they reported a suspected cannabis farm to police weeks before it sparked a fire which spread to a neighbouring home.

A cannabis farm with more than 80 plants was discovered by officers in a house on Manor Avenue in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, while crews were tackling a fire at two properties.

After, Nottinghamshire Police issued a statement saying it was "so important for neighbours to report their suspicions to us".

The force has since acknowledged it had received reports of a suspected cannabis farm at one of the houses which caught fire, but it could not act immediately on all the information it receives.

Fire crews from Stapleford, Ilkeston and Long Eaton fought from 19:00 GMT on Monday to control the blaze, which is believed to have been caused by alterations to the electrical wiring in one of the properties.

Neighbours were left without power for several hours as a result.

The cannabis farm was then discovered and the police issued a statement on Wednesday which said they had started an investigation.

The release also contained a statement from Sgt Simon Boyles, who said: "Cannabis grows of this nature pose a significant fire risk for various reasons.

"The required lighting and heating equipment, meanwhile, generates a large amount of heat in an environment often piled high with fertilisers and other chemicals.

"That's why it's so important for neighbours to report their suspicions to us at an early stage, because fires like this could very quickly spread to adjoining properties."

However, two neighbours told the BBC they had reported their suspicions that there was a cannabis grow at one of the houses in October.

One neighbour did not wish to be named, but Joanne Williamson, 52, has lived on Manor Avenue for nearly eight years, and said she had reported her suspicions twice.

Describing the fire, she added: "It was just chaos. I saw explosions and flames - a few of the neighbours were crying.

"In the past, [the people occupying the house] said they couldn't move in because of legal reasons, but they kept coming.

"Then it got really suspicious because they'd come twice a week, sometimes as early as three in the morning."

She said the police searched the same address two years ago and she believed officers were looking for cannabis plants.

"I just hope something will now be done about the property, because it just isn't being observed enough," she added.

Nottinghamshire Police admitted it had received reports about the property "in the recent past", but it often cannot act on the information it receives immediately and needs to apply to the court to execute a warrant.

A spokesperson added they had arrested two people nearby on suspicion of cannabis cultivation in 2022 and searched the property, but there was not sufficient evidence to take any further action.

The spokesperson said reports like the ones made by the residents "are very valuable".

No arrests have been made in relation to the incident on Monday and no-one was injured.

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