THE owner of a motorbike showroom in Burnley is today counting the cost of a fire which destroyed 20 bikes and caused thousands of pounds of damage.

Firefighters were called to the 2Wheel Supermarket in Accrington Road at 9pm yesterday after receiving reports of smoke coming from the building.

It is the third incident at the store this year after the premises were twice targeted by burglars in January. In one raid 80 helmets with a value of £6,000 were stolen.

When firefighters arrived on the scene last night they had to use hydraulic lifting gear to remove a metal shutter to gain entry to the premises.

After removing a glass door panel, firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and using thermal imaging cameras made their way inside.

A spokesman for Burnley Fire Service said: "When we got there we had to try to find out where the smoke was coming from.

"After we lifted one of the roller shutter doors we had to smash a glass door."

According to firefighters, up to twenty motorbikes were completely destroyed and a further 50 damaged by heat and smoke.

Staff were too upset to talk about the fire today.

The fire brigade are almost certain the fire was started by and electrical fault.

The spokesman added: "All we can put it down to is a fault that sparked off a fire. Once it got going it must have spread very quickly."