MORE than 150 clubbers were evacuated from a town centre venue after a fire filled the building with smoke.

Firefighters were called to the Afterlife Club in Red Lion Street, Burnley, at 12.05am yesterday. Four staff at the former Aenon Chapel used fire extinguishers to try to put out the fire but were eventually beaten back by the smoke.

The fire at the five-floor bar and night club formerly known as the Arena, Chaplin's Bar and Club XPO, had started at the bottom of stairs leading from the first floor bar to two further floors. mLeading Firefighter Jed Richmond said: "The fire had started because of carelessly discarded smoking material which had set fire to some textile material.

"This was next to an extraction unit which led from the kitchens on the floor below to outside the building and the fire filled all of the floors with smoke because the doors were open.

"It was quite busy when we arrived and everyone had been evacuated. The staff has tried fire fighting by using a number of fire extinguishers, six in all, and they did a good job of stopping it from spreading but were affected by the smoke and had to come out."

Four firefighters wearing breathing equipment went into the building to put out the fire and ventilate the floors.

Mr Richmond said there was no real fire damage and the fire was not suspicious, however further inquiries are being made with the club's owners.

When the club applied in Septemeber for a late night licence to 4am it met with protests from Luminar Leisure who run The Works and Chicago Rock Cafe on Hammerton Street.