DETECTIVES investigating an explosion which ripped through a mill complex said today that a man taken to hospital after the incident was the owner of one of the units destroyed in the blaze.

The man, who has not been named, was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary suffering from burns to his hands and face after the fire which destroyed part of Gillibrand's Mill in Hollins Grove Street, Darwen.

He was later transferred to the intensive care unit at Royal Preston Hospital, where detectives are waiting to question him, though doctors have told police it could be up to two more weeks before he is well enough to be interviewed.

Police also arrested a woman aged 29, who was released on police bail after being interviewed by detectives and was ordered to reappear at Blackburn Police Station in March.

Det Con John Entwistle, of Darwen CID, said: "At the moment, we are still waiting to talk to the man to see if he can shed any light on exactly what happened.

"As yet, we are unsure whether a crime has been committed and it is a case of talking to witnesses and piecing the information together."

Fire crews from Darwen, Blackburn and Accrington tackled the blaze after the blast in the administration block at the mill which gutted six offices, at about 9.20pm on Monday, January 21.

The two-storey admin block involved in the fire was next to several industrial units, which were not affected.