A STREET outside a town's fire station was due to re-open today after a fire chief told how lives were put at risk because fire engines were forced to take a lengthy diversion around roadworks.

Crews gave up trying to squeeze past double-parked cars on narrow side streets off Scotland Road, Nelson, and were forced to take a half-a-mile circular route to reach a point just 100 yards from where they set off.

Temporary 'no parking' traffic cones put down in the streets to keep them clear went missing.

Contractors Transco dug up Bradley Road outside Nelson fire station to lay a new main, blocking the direct route to Scotland Road. But Pendle Council highways manager Peter Atkinson said the road was due to re-open today.

"Cones were put down in the side streets but then they disappeared and drivers started parking again," he said. "We talked to the police but by that time the work was coming to an end anyway. It was due to end yesterday but they ran out of tarmacadam." The street was blocked off at the beginning of this month and to get to many emergency calls, fire engines had to take a route along Fleet Street and then cut across to Scotland Road via one of the side streets, such as Essex Street or Cooper Street.

"The problem was that those streets are narrow enough anyway and with cars parked on both sides there was not enough room for the engines," explained Station Officer Nick Isherwood.

The problem became so bad fire engines were forced to go to the end of Fleet Street and then turn back on themselves along Scotland Road to get to the centre, adding precious minutes on to the journey times to an emergency call.

"I feared a fatality or injuries because fire engines were delayed," said Mr Isherwood. "Any call that takes us into the town centre had the added delay."

A Transco spokesman said contractors are replacing a two-kilometre stretch of cast iron piping.

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