A FIERCE blaze which damaged a factory in Leigh has been blamed on arsonists.

Youths playing with matches are thought to be responsible for the fire at Victoria Foods which could be seen from miles around.

The blaze at the Bright Street factory was reported to crews in Leigh at 7.30pm last Sunday.

Two appliances from the town and one from Atherton were sent to the scene and immediately tried to put out the fire which had been started among wooden pallets stored in the yard.

The blaze had spread to a nearby Portakabin and was bending and twisting external steel cladding on the side of the factory. An industrial mixing machine was also damaged.

Two men wearing breathing apparatus used jets to douse the flames, while a thermal image camera was used to make sure the fire had not spread to insulation hidden by the cladding.

Sub Officer Paul Sumner, from the station at Leigh, said: "It was quite a fierce blaze, I believe it could be seen from quite a few miles away.

"Neighbours told us youths are often seen playing with matches in the area, so at the moment we are putting the fire down as malicious."

Victoria Foods, which manufactures a wide range of goods, was operating as normal this week.