POLICE were today investigating the discovery of more than 200 cannabis plants by fire crews called to a routine garage blaze.A 46-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident, which unfolded in White House Farm, Debenham Road, Mickfield at around 1.

POLICE were today investigating the discovery of more than 200 cannabis plants by fire crews called to a routine garage blaze.

A 46-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident, which unfolded in White House Farm, Debenham Road, Mickfield at around 1.20am on Sunday.

Firefighters stumbled on the plants while tackling the flames and alerted police, who arrived around 30 minutes later.

A number of senior officers attended the scene to conduct their inquiries, while fire crews remained on site to control the incident.

It was finally doused around three hours after the call-out, although the clean-up operation was still taking place late yesterday afternoon.

Detective Inspector David Rutterford, one of the officers at the scene, confirmed the cause of the fire was being investigated, although he said it was not being treated as suspicious.

The arrested man was taken to Stowmarket police station and will now answer bail on May 5.

A spokesman for Suffolk police said: "Police were called by the fire services and seized more than 200 cannabis plants from the address.

"A 46-year-old man from Mickfield has been arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and has been released on police bail until May 5."

It is unclear who alerted the fire service to the blaze, which came within two metres of igniting a nearby thatched roof.

Crews from Needham Market, Debenham and Stowmarket were called to the rural location and used three hose reels and two jets to prevent any spread.

No figure has yet been placed on the financial damage to the building, although the roof was destroyed and the structure's walls and doors blackened.