FIRE and police officers are investigating a "suspicious" explosion and fire which destroyed a Blackpool cafe on Monday night.

The blaze ripped through O'Briens Irish sandwich bar, Birley Street at around 10.20pm completely gutting the cafe area and causing severe damage to the floor above.

Three teams of firefighters from Blackpool's Forest Gate and South Shore fire stations donned breathing apparatus and used a jet and two hose reels to tackle the fierce blaze.

Officers were on the scene damping down until just after 2am Tuesday morning.

A statement from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the fire as "serious" and said the fire was being treated as suspicious and the cause was under investigation.

It added: "An explosion had completely demolished the front of the cafe when the first crews arrived.

"The conditions on the first floor were extremely arduous and the crews showed the professionalism gained from constant training to bring the fire under control."

In addition it stated that while fighting the blaze firefighters had noticed several fuel cans around the building "which added to dangers of further explosions".

Forest Gate Fire Station Commander Barry Shelmerdine added: "There was a danger of fire spreading to adjacent properties but from the early stages officers were fairly confident there was nobody in there."

A spokesman for Blackpool Police said there were signs of forced entry at the rear of the shop and said inquiries were ongoing. He did not rule out arson as a possible cause.