A CANNABIS plantation caught fire at a house in Westcliff.

Firefighters were called to a blaze in a terraced house in Brightwell Avenue just before 9am on Saturday morning.

The ground floor of the house was ablaze.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Martin Pullen said: "The origin of the fire was at the back of the property on the ground floor.

"Crews were confronted with a small cannabis plantation on fire.

"Firefighters contained the fire and stoped it spreading to the adjoining houses."

A joint investigation by the fire service and Essex Police has been launched.