FIREFIGHTERS DISCOVER HUGE CANNABIS HAUL AT FLATs BLAZE

Fire crews from Bexhill and Hastings raced to the fire early morning after reports that someone may have been trapped in a second-floor flat.

Eight firefighters wearing breathing apparatus forced their way into the smoke-logged premises but found no one in.

Instead they found the cannabis plants and hydroponics equipment.

The alarm was raised at about 8am when smoke was seen billowing from the building, a few doors up from the Northern Hotel in the lower part of the B2182 Sea Road.

Police sealed off the road between its junctions with St Leonards Road and Marina, and a police closed-circuit television unit was sent to the scene.

It is believed the blaze was caused by an electrical fault.

Sergeant Tricia Reeve-Fowkes, of Bexhill Police, said: “The fire brigade discovered a cannabis factory when they attended a fire in Sea Road on Tuesday January 4.

“It is believed that the fire was caused by a possible electrical fault by equipment used for cultivating plants. The equipment was removed and 150 plants were destroyed.

“Police are investigating and would like to hear from anyone who can help them with their enquiries.”

Bexhill fire station commander Mark Webb said: “We were initially told people might be trapped upstairs, and appliances were mobilised from both here and Hastings, including an aerial ladder.

“Once it was clear that the building had no one in it, we were able to deal with the fire using hose-reel jets.

“The fire caused significant smoke and heat damage to the second floor flat and the one below it.”

• This is the second major drugs haul in Bexhill in four months. In September, police seized 200 cannabis plants from a property in Barnhorn Road.