Two arrested after Sutton cannabis house badly damaged in blaze

Two people have been arrested after a Sutton house was badly damaged by fire
Jon Ball
By Jon Ball
Published 9th Jun 2022, 07:55 BST
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Fire crews were called to St Michael’s Street, Sutton, on Tuesday, June 7, at about 5pm, following reports of smoke coming from the roof of a property.

A Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service spokesman said: “Three fire engines attended, including from Ashfield Fire Station, and two hose reel jets were used to put the fire out.

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“We left the scene just after 7pm and an investigation is taking place.”

Police and fire investigators at the scene.Police and fire investigators at the scene.
Police and fire investigators at the scene.

The blaze caused significant damage to the inside of the house, with the roof destroyed, before it was extinguished, while houses on either side of the property also had to be evacuated.

Police have since said it is throught the fire could be linked to cannabis being grown inside the house, although an investigation is still ongoing to establish this for certain.

A 28-year-old man and woman, aged 29, have been arrested on suspicion of arson and the cultivation of cannabis.

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Detective Inspector Paul Lefford, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Cultivating cannabis, while being illegal and having significant criminal implications, can also cause substantial safety concerns both for those in the house where the grow is taking place and also residents in neighbouring properties.

The roof of the property was badly damaged.The roof of the property was badly damaged.
The roof of the property was badly damaged.

“It is typical for these types of grows to involve dangerous modifications to wiring and for electricity to be bypassed, which is obviously a huge fire risk and can literally lead to people’s lives being put at risk.

“It is extremely important anyone who suspects cannabis could be being grown inside a house in their community gets in touch with us straight away.”

Matt Reavill, fire service group manager, said: “Cannabis grows are often very dangerous due to the unsafe wiring used to illegally source heating and lighting to grow the plants.

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“Unsafe storage of chemicals used in growing cannabis can also pose a significant risk of fire.

Crime scene tape outside the fire-hit property.Crime scene tape outside the fire-hit property.
Crime scene tape outside the fire-hit property.

“Often these grows are in lofts, meaning when a fire takes hold it spreads and destroys the roofs and damages neighbouring properties.

“They can pose a significant risk to the firefighters who tackle the fires and also to the people living nearby.”

Anyone with information about the fire on St Michael’s Street is asked to call police on 101, quoting incident 530 of June 7, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.