FIREFIGHTERS uncovered a cannabis farm when they were called to a house fire in Ramsbottom in the early hours of yesterday.

Fire crews from Ramsbottom, Rawtenstall and Bury were alerted after thick smoke could be seen coming from a property in Heatherside Road, Stubbins at around midnight.

Initially there were fears there was someone still inside the terraced property and firefighters entered the house wearing breathing apparatus to conduct a search, when they discovered the cannabis farm operation, covering all three floors of the house.

So dangerously overpowered was the consumer unit that the electricity board had to dig down outside the property to get to the electrics and make the property safe.

According to reports, people had only just moved into the house.

Watch Manager at Bury Fire Station said:"We received the call as a persons reported, and we went in we discovered this elaborate cannabis farm operation.

"There must have been thousands of pounds worth of equipment in the house.

"When we went in you could just hear popping and banging, it was that unsafe, the electricity had to excavate down to isolate the electrics.

"Police were called."

Every floor had equipment installed to grow cannabis plants, including the heating lamps, with dozens and dozens plugs in use, with plants being grown.

Crews stayed on the scene until around 3.30am.