A fire ripped through a former cannabis farm for the second time in a month.
Firefighters were called to the former cannabis farm, in a detached house formerly owned by Liverpool FC player Jermaine Pennant, for a second time in a month. Fire crews from both Merseyside and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service were deployed to the abandoned mansion Hale Road, Widnes at around 8.30pm last night, Tuesday, November 1.
Fire crews worked through the night battling the blaze - and remained at the scene this morning. Hale Road was also closed while fire crews dealt with the incident.
READ MORE: Jermaine Pennant's abandoned mansion gutted by blaze weeks after fire destroyed home
The ECHO understands Hale Road was reopened shortly after 12am as relief crews took over and dampened down hot spots of fire in the house. Today a spokesperson for Cheshire Constabulary confirmed to the ECHO the blaze was the second at the house following a fire on October 10.
Cheshire Constabulary said the fire on October 10 was being treated as deliberate, with Detective Constable Rich Gray, of Widnes CID adding they were aware the address has "attracted a lot of attention". It is understood Pennant, who played for LFC between 2006 and 2009, bought the mansion for just over £1m in 2006. The property has stood empty since 2020.
The property was subject of a drugs warrant carried out earlier this year when officers discovered a cannabis farm and seized multiple plants. A 35-year-old man was arrested and released on bail before being transferred to West Midlands Police.
Officers received further intelligence of a cannabis farm at the same property in September but no plants were found during their search. The scale of the latest cannabis farm was revealed on social media by an urban explorer who filmed himself in the five-bedroom mansion.
Speaking after the first fire, Detective Constable Gray said: “We are currently in the early stages of this investigation and at this time, we believe that this fire has been started deliberately. Officers believe that the property was unoccupied at the time of the blaze and no injuries have been reported to us."
Cheshire Constabulary told the ECHO officers are currently working to determine if the second fire is also a suspected arson.
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