Returning to England's bleak midwinter after a new year sojourn in the warmth of north Africa is a gray enough prospect on its own. For Richard Shackleton, the homecoming will be doubly difficult.
He will return to Westhoughton, near Bolton, tomorrow to discover that not only has his pristine house burnt down, but also that the blaze disclosed a sophisticated cannabis farm that has attracted the interest of Greater Manchester police. It is thought that Shackleton, a carpenter, knows nothing about the fire; his mobile phone is switched off and he and his girlfriend are in Morocco. According to neighbors, the couple had gone there for the new year to celebrate the end of their three-year project to renovate the ?115,000 (US$227,000) house.
The alarm was raised in the early hours of Thursday after a neighbor smelled smoke from the eaves of the house. By the time fire crews reached the building it was ablaze and most of its contents had been destroyed.
As firefighters picked their way through the debris, they came across the remains of cannabis plants and heating and lighting equipment. They called in the police, who now think the fire was started after the electric system short-circuited.
"The first floor and the attic were dedicated to growing drugs," said Detective Sergeant David Kehoe. "It is very difficult to say how much was there but it appears it is on a commercial scale rather than for personal consumption."
He confirmed that his officers would be speaking to Shackleton in "due course."
"This fire is a clear example of just how dangerous cannabis farms are and the damage they can cause. The electrical equipment used to run these farms is potentially lethal, which is why it is vital that the public pass on any information they have about houses being used in this way," Detective Chief Inspector George Fawcett said.
Greater Manchester police uncovered more than 350 cannabis farms last year -- more than 30 of which were in Bolton.
A neighbor said of Shackleton: "You couldn't wish to meet a nicer bloke. He's gutted that house and he's made it really lovely. He's done all the upstairs and put beautiful new showers in. He's worked really, really hard ... everybody round here's just shocked."
"I couldn't believe it," he said. "His mum was round at the time. It was a shame because she's a lovely person and she didn't know ... we were talking to him about getting a wall in the garden between us but I don't think that will happen now."
Shackleton's mother, Elaine, said she was "shocked and somewhat confused" by the fire, but would not ruin her son's fun.
"I just can't believe it," she said. "But we're not going to tell him about it yet -- we're going to let him finish his holiday."
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