FURNITURE in an empty Accrington house was set alight in what is believed to be an arson attack.

Firefighters were called to the house in Cotton Street at 10.10pm last night after a fire alarm in the neighbouring property, which was also unoccupied, alerted a neighbour.

They found furniture in a rear room had been set alight and burning for hours, causing smoke damage to the whole house.

Watch manager at Accrington fire station Neil Carter said: "The fire had been burning for some time at a low level.

"What I mean by that is it did not get to the intensity you would expect of furniture because if it did we would get more of the property set on fire.

"The whole house was covered in smoke and that had drifted but that was at a low level.

"The damage was mainly contained to the furniture that was set alight.

"A little bit of smoke seeped through to the house next door, which caused the smoke alarm to go off, but that house as also empty.

"Someone has got in the rear of the property and the police are investigating."