STAFF were evacuated from a Colne shopping arcade after hot tar being used for building work set the roof on fire.

Fire crews from Nelson, Colne and Earby tackled the blaze at the three-storey arcade in Albert Road at around 5.15pm yesterday.

Police had to set up a one-way traffic system while the firefighters worked for over 30 minutes to put the fire out.

Nick Isherwood, Colne's station officer, said: "Workmen on the roof were putting down hot tar and somehow this set alight and spread along the whole length of the arcade.

"Our problem was that the building is so high and so we had real trouble just actually getting to it.

"It was very difficult to put out -- roof fires are always really tricky."

Shop owners in the stretch between the Town Hall and the Parish Church were anxious to get back into the premises to assess any damage caused.

Paula Earing, who owns the Venus clothes shop, had been told the structure of the roof had not been affected but was concerned about the amount of water that had been used to extinguish the flames.

She said: "The firemen were here really quickly. We are just worried now that the water could have seeped through the roof and damaged stock --- we are waiting for the all clear to go in and see."