Man arrested after Durrington house fire as 'cannabis plants' found

A man was arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis following a house fire in Durrington yesterday (Tuesday, March 27).

The road was closed by police while six crews, as well as specialist appliances, worked to extinguish the blaze.

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Police confirmed a 51-year-old Worthing man was arrested after a number of plants believed to be cannabis were found in the property.

He was arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis before he was detained, questioned and accepted a caution, police said.

An investigation into the fire found it was of accidental ignition, a spokesman from the fire service confirmed.

Clarification: This article originally stated the fire had broken out in the loft of the property, as stated by the fire service at the time. West Sussex County Council made a further statement on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, regarding the fire. A spokeswoman said: “According to the log of the incident we would have said there was a fire in the roof space. Any briefing was given in good faith at the time. As it was a telephone briefing it is hard for us to know the exact wording of the information given at the time about the source of the fire. We can confirm that our fire investigator has since concluded that the fire started on the first floor and travelled in a concealed cavity to the roof space.”
Additionally, since this article was published, the Worthing Herald has been contacted by the occupant of the house where the fire occurred. She says that, contrary to a statement issued by Sussex Police, no cannabis plants were found at the property, and that the offence for which a man was cautioned took place eight years prior to the fire. She says she is currently pursuing the matter with the police. The original report was based on statements provided by the police and fire service at the time.