A LIBRARY was evacuated after a sprinkler system flooded the first floor.

Three fire crews rushed to Blackburn Central Library in Town Hall Street yesterday afternoon after a decorator activated the sprinkler.

Station officer Tom Davies said: "It could have been far worse if we hadn't taken swift action.

"The sprinkler system caused severe damage to the first floor which then flooded down into the lending library.

"After we switched it off, we used an an environmental protection unit from Burnley, which acts like a vacuum cleaner, to suck up the water."

Around 10 shelves of books were damaged.

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