A SCHOOLBOY who started a £3million blaze which gutted three Accrington businesses has walked free from court -- but a judge said he hoped the victims would understand he had no choice.

The boy, then just 13, lit a crisp packet in a plastic crate which quickly tore through Eastgate retail Park in July last year.

Judge Raymond Bennett said the teenager would have gone to jail if he was older, but he could not send him to custody because of his age, the fact he had no previous convictions and that he was not a persistent offender.

The judge, who told the youth he would be expected to write a letter of apology to the stores hit by the blaze, gave him a six month supervision order.

He said: "I hope the proprietors of the businesses concerned will understand that a judge's powers of punishment in these circumstances are restricted."

Judge Bennett said he was relieved the defendant had expressed genuine sorrow for what happened and was ashamed of his actions. While subject to the order, the teenager must undertake offence focus work, take part in an arson programme run by the fire service and attend groups organised by the Youth Offending Team.

The 14-year-old, from Accrington, had earlier been convicted of arson after a trial.

He had denied the allegation and told the jury he was just melting the crisp packet. The defendant told the jury there was no fire when he left the retail park and said when he heard about the blaze thought it couldn't have been him as he had only been melting a packet to watch it shrivel.

The court had been told how the youth had been playing with a box of matches he found at the back of the retail park at about 4.30pm on Sunday, July 29.

A plastic pallet was set on fire, an alarm sounded, and staff who were still in CBS, one of the four stores in the retail park, were evacuated. The fire ripped through the roof of the building which also housed Netto, Halfords and Poundstretcher in 10 minutes.

Only Poundstretcher escaped the blaze and dozens of firefighters were called in.

David Bentley, defending, said it was an unusual case of arson. The teenager did not use an accelerant and did not intend the damage that was caused. The jury had decided by its verdict he was reckless.

Acting detective inspector Jim Elston, who led the inquiry, said after the case: "We are happy with the fact that this lad has been convicted. On the face of it a supervision order may seem disproportionate on reflection of the substantial amount of damage that occurred."

Thomas Jellum, managing director for Netto UK, said: "The fire was a massive loss for us and we are still recovering from it.

"When we have to open a new store from scratch it takes us at least two years to get to the level of where we were."

Halfords, which closed after the blaze, said it was glad the matter was over.