A canal boat was destroyed by fire near Botany Bay in Chorley.

The narrowboat was well alight when fire crews from Chorley attended the blaze at 4.30am on Monday.

Watch manager Keith Armstrong said: “We are trying to discover the cause and track down the owners.

“Nobody was injured and the boat was left afloat. We are checking to see if there is any CCTV footage.”

The boat, moored near the bridge at Botany Bay, took two hours to extinguish.

The blaze was reported by a member of the public. Four fire engines attended and used specialist equipment.

The Canal and River Trust, which recently took over from British Waterways, has been informed of the damage and will deal with the boat.