POLICE uncovered a £250,000 cannabis farm in the cellar of a former pub after a fuse box caught fire.

Drug dealers were illegally powering dozens of heat lamps at an address in Church Road, Shoebury, when the blaze started just before 10.30pm on Sunday.

Although the fire was quickly extinguished, neighbours looked on amazed as police carried out an estimated 90 kilos of the class B drug.

The plants were being grown in the basement of a former pub, which is now divided into two properties – with two flats on the left hand side and a house on the right.

Police believe the occupants of the lower flat on the left-hand side were responsible for the factory as the house on the right did not have access to the basement. The occupants fled before fire crews arrived.

The resident in the upper flat was still without power yesterday afternoon and was moved to temporary accommodation.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “There has been a strong smell of cannabis around here for quite a while, but we just used to shut the window. We couldn’t believe how much they carried out.”

Another neighbour claimed weapons were also found in the house. He said: “Apparently there were baseball bats and batons by the front door, so they were expecting trouble. I suppose if you’re growing that much cannabis you have to be careful.”

An Essex Police spokesman said: “We were contacted at 12.30am yesterday by the fire service who were attending an incident at a property in Church Road.

“Whilst tackling a fire at the building, firefighters discovered a cannabis factory. Officers attended the scene and enquiries are ongoing.”

A fire service spokesman said the blaze was in an external fuse box and was put out within ten minutes.

The cause was found to be a faulty electricity supply.