FIREFIGHTERS and council officers today issued a united warning to children who are risking their lives playing in a disused building which has been set alight six times in the last 12 months.

Two emergency crews were again called to the former car exhaust manufacturing and wholesale building in Back Owen Street, Accrington, over the weekend, following new reports of fire.

Residents have previously called for the site to be cleaned up and made secure.

Only yesterday, firefighters removed a 20-square-metre section of the roof after it collapsed. Station Officer Andy Taylor said: "Gradually, there is less and less of the building left, but eventually, someone is going to hurt themselves or be killed."

Firefighters battled the blaze, which began with a pile of rubbish inside the building which then set the roof alight, for two hours. Sub-officer Steve Harrison said: "The site is quite open so it is easy for people to get in and a lot of the roof has gone now so the problem is getting worse.

"The derelict mill is also close to residents, so it is a danger to kids playing around there, too and I am sure the residents don't like what they can see through their back windows.

"But the main problem is the roof, as there are holes all over it and a number of loose slates.

"It doesn't take much for them to come off and they can be extremely dangerous as they are much bigger than normal house slates.

"Children need to be told to keep away.

"This isn't a playground and it gets even less like one every time there is a fire.

"We just do not know what is underneath the piles of rubbish and rubble, but there could be broken slates or nails and it is not clean."

Steve Todd, head of Environmental Health at Hyndburn Borough Council, said: "We are aware of the long-standing difficulties that this building has caused.

"The council has only very recently identified who the owners are and we are currently involved in discussions with them to try and bring this matter to a speedy conclusion.

"In the meantime, I again appeal to youths to stay off the roof of this building as it is unsafe and they are risking life and limb by climbing on it."