A parish council chairman who faced criminal charges after a massive haul of weapons was found at his home has died, the police said yesterday.

James Arnold, 49, of Wyverstone, who was seriously ill with cancer, was arrested earlier this year after weapons including an Uzi submachine gun and an AK47 assault rifle were found at his home in Potash Lane in April.

Police spent four weeks searching the cottage, which was set in four acres of land, and carried out several controlled explosions.

Mr Arnold was on remand in custody and due to appear before Ipswich Crown Court on Friday charged with two counts of assault and four of possession of a prohibited weapon.

A Suffolk Police spokesman said: “We can confirm that James Arnold died on July 14 and that the Crown Prosecution Service has discontinued the case.”

Over 100 weapons and a vast quantity of ammunition were understood to have been found at the house.