DRINKERS enjoying a pint in their pub unwittingly uncovered a cannabis factory above a village shop after they spotted smoke billowing from the window.
When locals at the Chequers, Roxwell, saw fumes pouring out of a flat above Roxwell Village Store opposite they dialled 999 for help – despite assurances from a man who leant out the window to say everything was under control.
But the occupant vanished when firefighters arrived and they had to bash the door down to get to the blaze on Friday at around 9pm.
The shopkeeper's son, Rashid Majid, 31, was arrested when he came to open up at 6am on Saturday, and the store is still without power after police officers removed the electricity meter.
The shop's owner, Abdul Majid, 58, told the Chronicle: "I rented the place out to a man, he hadn't been here that long, he moved in on Thursday, April 10. I was going to make inspections every three to six months. Obviously I didn't know what was going on – it was none of my business what was going on.
"I wasn't here on Friday but I heard people across at the pub saw the smoke coming out, they rang up the fire brigade but he had managed to put it out and shouted to the people sitting outside that everything was under control and not to worry about it.
"When the fire brigade knocked at the door he didn't open it so they knocked the door down to get in to make sure the fire was out.
"I think he realised the police were going to turn up so he did a runner.
"They then cut the electric to the whole building as police said it had been bypassed, which was not my fault at all."
Abdul is now considering legal action against the police after losing a day's trade and hundreds of pounds of stock after the electricity was cut.
He said: "They arrested my boy as he came in on Saturday morning to open the shop and took him to the cells in Chelmsford and didn't let him open up.
"All the stock was sitting outside the shop but the police took no notice and didn't bother to ring me until midday to tell me he had been arrested."
Mr Majid added: "Milk was left out and papers had to be returned and I had to go to the police station, but he wasn't let out until 5.30pm.
"He had nothing to do with it and now he's on bail."
A spokeswoman for the police said they found "a number of cannabis plants" on arrival at the flat.
It was promptly sealed off and put under police guard until Monday morning while potential evidence was recovered and forensic analysis took place.
Rashid Majid is the only person arrested in connection with the drugs find and has now been bailed to Monday, September 15.
A police spokesman added: "Investigations are continuing and material has been sent for forensic examination."
