ONE of the worst fires ever seen in Leigh has caused an estimated £1m worth of damage to a town centre shopping arcade.

The Boulevard was destroyed by the blaze which took 60 firefighters from across the county four hours to get under control.

The Bradshawgate building was completely destroyed and the 12 businesses inside wiped out.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

The owners, Eddie and Alex Grimrod, were on holiday at the time of the blaze and although a definite figure of the damage caused is not yet known, most estimates are in the region of £1m.

The emergency services were called to the Boulevard after a police officer viewing the CCtv monitors spotted smoke on Bradshawgate.

Worried members of the public and taxi drivers also dialled 999 saying Leigh town centre was filling up with smoke.

A crew from Leigh quickly arrived at the scene, but the blaze had already taken hold and was destroying the building.

At its height early on Tuesday morning, eight crews from Wigan, Atherton, Hindley, Bolton and Farnworth fought the flames. It took four hours to get under control and was still smouldering at 10am.

Station Officer Steve Birchall said it was the worst fire Leigh had suffered in recent years.

"It was a very intense blaze. Some of my men went in with breathing apparatus, but at one point I had to withdraw them, because it was too dangerous."

Investigators have been delayed trying to discover what caused the fire because the building is still unsafe.

Businesses affected inside the arcade included make-up stalls, a wallpaper supplier, cafe, newsagent, amusement arcade and clothes shops.

The Halifax and Heron Frozen Foods, next-door to the Boulevard, had to close for most of the day and other shops experienced power cuts.

The Boulevard was originally known locally as the 'indoor market' and opened in the 1970s. It was given a new name and canopy during the 1990s.