Man suffered ‘life-changing burns’ after explosion at suspected cannabis farm

A man has suffered life-changing burns following an explosion at a detached house being used as a suspected cannabis farm.

Emergency services were called to Summerfield Road, in Boythorpe, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, after the area was rocked by the blast on Friday afternoon.

A 32-year-old man was taken to the hospital by paramedics to be treated for burns that are believed to be life-changing.

Officers also discovered a suspected cannabis farm inside the property following the explosion at around 2.50pm.

Derbyshire Constabulary said the detached house had suffered ‘extensive damage’ while a nearby property was also damaged.

Residents from two homes, either side of the property, were evacuated as a precaution but were not injured and have since been allowed to return to their properties.

The force said work has been undertaken to make the scene safe and secure.

A police spokesperson said: ‘Residents living nearby may have heard a loud bang, but we would like to reassure members of the public that there is no wider threat or danger to the public.

‘A joint investigation between Derbyshire Constabulary and Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service has been launched into the incident, and the scene is cordoned off this morning.

‘We are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information to please come forward.’

Officers have urged anyone with CCTV, Ring doorbell footage or dash camera footage near the scene to come forward.

Last year, a man whose cannabis lab blew up and killed a man and a seven-year-old boy in the explosion was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Reece Galbraith set up a drug lab in the flat in Benwell, Newcastle, creating cannabis concentrates and turning those products into edibles.

But the highly dangerous process of using butane gas to process the class B drug caused a major explosion, which ripped through the building in the early hours of October 16.

The blast caused about £3.7million worth of damage when it wrecked the building, leaving families homeless and killing seven-year-old Archie York as he slept, as well as Galbraith’s friend and collaborator, Jason ‘Jay’ Laws, 35.

Six people were taken to hospital ‘with varying injuries’ after the blast, with several others evacuated from their homes. Two flats ‘suffered the main brunt of the explosion’ but four more were also badly affected by the explosion.

Archie lived in the flat above the cannabis factory with his parents Katherine Errington and Robbie York and his baby brother Finley.

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