FIRE officers were surprised at what they found when they were called to a chip pan fire at a former council old people's home.

It wasn't the blaze that took them aback but the fact that the flats were occupied by a number of Polish men who could speak little English and had been brought to Blackburn to work after answering agency advertisements.

According to Polish priest Father Alexo Makulski, their conditions were "heartbreaking" and "terrible to see".

"They were like squatters," he said.

Now the council and fire service are conducting a joint investigation into conditions at the flats including fire safety precautions.

And the manager of the agency that brought them here says he is "shocked and annoyed" and wants alternative accommodation to be found.

It could be argued that both Blackburn and Darwen Council and the agency should have been monitoring living conditions and already been aware of them.

Also, as a local councillor has pointed out, the "garrisoning" of foreign workers in one building leaves them cut off and can cause unease within the community.

This chip pan fire should be treated as a wake-up call to ensure no similar situation arises again.