DERELICT buildings across East Lancashire have become the target of an online obsession.

Trespassers are breaking into the disused and sometimes unsafe structures in a new Urban Exploration (UE) craze.

The bizarre act of entering and exploring abandoned landmarks is an activity dubbed "dangerous and irresponsible" by safety experts.

The former Blackburn Royal Infirmary building in Blackburn and the empty Millennium nightclub, Cicely Lane, have been targeted in the past six months.

Lambert Howarth, Burnley, Papermarc, Burnley, William Blythe's, Hapton, and Accrington Conservative Club have also been featured.

The idea is the explorer captures on camera a derelict, unwanted state - whether those taking part are doing so legally or not.

Pictures are then posted online on the website 28 Days Later, some featuring the explorers scaling cranes, tower blocks and famous local landmarks.

The Blackburn Royal Infirmary building - which closed earlier this year - is now a hot topic with many explorers posting questions about access and occupancy.

The website explains: "There are no set rules in UE, just personal ethics.

"If you do not wish to remove a board, snip a padlock, pick a lock, etc, then don't, but don't go telling people they should not as it is all personal choice and if they get caught then they are accountable and not the community.

"I believe that you should make your own mind up and not take someone else's ethics as the rules."

Buildings such as the Millennium Dome in London and a former police station in Manchester have also been recent targets for the explorers'.

But a spokesman for the Royal Society For The Prevention of Accidents said the explorers were risking death by taking part in "dangerous and irresponsible behaviour".

The ROSPA spokesman added: "This particular type of activity is not something we would encourage for a number of reasons, and our primary concern would be that of 'copycatting' by younger children.

"We understand the large majority of the people involved are adults or older teenagers who may know the risks involved, but we are concerned that younger people may not be aware of the dangers.

"It is a big health and safety issue because some of these buildings may be derelict and unstable."

A police spokesperson said: "While we are not aware of this particular practice we strongly discourage people from entering any property without authorisation.

"Anyone gaining unauthorised access to an unoccupied building is putting themselves at risk and I urge them to think twice before doing so."

Chris Kinsler, East Lancashire Hospital Trust's security advisor, said: "We can confirm that East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust contracts a security company to look after the Infirmary site and appropriate measures are in place."