Suspected cannabis farm found at site of huge Blackpool blaze - and locals say they aren't surprised

Firefighters were called to the disused Shazron Guesthouse, on Havelock Street, at 1.43am this morning, with eight fire engines in attendance.

The crews worked hard over several hours to get the blaze under control, as huge plumes of smoke could be seen billowing into the air.

By the time workers were in the area just after 8.30am, the fire was out and just three engines were in attendance.

There was some charring to the side of the building and several smashed windows, as evidence of the overnight balze.

At first glance it might have appeared that the Shazron was still operating as a guesthouse, with a canopy over the door, lace curtains on the windows and a sign showing a three-star grading at the front.

At one time the whole street would have been full of thriving hotels, boarding houses and bed and breakfast establishments welcoming the visitors who thronged to Blackpool in its hay day, when Central Drive was one of the town's top shopping areas.

But things have been changing for years.

The Shazron Guesthouse has been empty for a while and today police issued a statement about a suspected cannabis farm. It is not yet confirmed that this caused the blaze, with firefighters still investigating.

Residents say it would not be the only cannabis in the vicinity.

Mark Evans, who runs a local YouTub channel, said: "This used to be a nice area at one time - quite a few years ago - but sadly, you can see how run down it has become.

"Empty guesthouses and hotels are dotted all over Blackpool and it's no surprise that they are targeted for things like this. There don 't seem to be any checks on them."

And pointing to another empty building nearby, he added: "You can see someone has kicked in the boarding of that one and people are getting in. Who's to say that won't be the next potential blaze?"

Another resident who lives nearby, but didn't want to be named, said: "The growers (cannabis growers) are moving in round here.

"There are lots of empty buildings which don't look like they're empty, but people around here know they are.

"They are an easy target for the growers.

"It's a shame about this area, it used to be great around here, but year by year I've seen it go down and down.

"I'm just glad nobody was hurt in the fire."

Textile worker Andrew Mitcham was just setting off to his workplace on Central Drive, close to Havelock Street, when a friend texted him to advise him about the nearby blaze.

Andrew said: "I knew what to expect before I arrived and my main worry was that the road would be blocked off and I'd struggle to get into work.

"I arrived here at 8.50am and thankfully they'd put the fire out, even though there were still large numbers of firefighters and a few police too.

"It's sad but I wasn't surprised to hear there was a suspected cannabis farm in there."