A FIREFIGHTER has slammed vandals who broke into a derelict house and set fire to the staircase, warning they had put their lives at risk.

The vandals broke into the house in Cockermouth Close, Blackburn, at 10.30am on Saturday, by breaking the shutters off the windows and setting fire to them.

Leading firefighter Dave Hilliard said: "Vandals are a constant ongoing problem in the Fishmoor area.

"These derelict houses are made secure and they are death traps. If any children were in the house at the time they could have been trapped.

"All the staircase was burnt away and the landing was also damaged by fire.We've had about 20 similar incidents in the past few months and it's got to stop."

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