CHILDREN in Bamber Bridge are being ordered indoors after a massive factory inferno resulted in white asbestos being deposited across the town.

The blaze, which started at 1pm on Sunday at packaging firm Avalon Packaging on Walton Summit, raged for most of the day as firefighters from across the county were drafted in to tackle the it.

And more than four days after the fire, people are still feeling the effects. Debris from the explosions - including whites asbestos - landed in gardens near the factory.

South Ribble Borough Council is now urging people with debris to contact their cleansing department. A spokesman said: "We are asking local residents to call us to dispose of the waste. People are advised not to mow their lawns and children should not play in the garden and public places affected until any debris has been removed."

In leaflets to local residents, the council says that if the debris is removed quickly, there will be no long term risk to health or the environment.

Anyone suffering from skin irritation is advised to contact the NHS Direct helpline, while all home-grown produce from the area should be thoroughly washed.

South Ribble Borough Council chief executive Phil Halsall said: "Over the next few days, the authority's environmental health officers will be working to ensure there are no long-lasting effects."

Within minutes of the first explosion, plumes of black smoke rose to 1,000ft above the industrial estate. When the blaze was is full swing, people flocked from miles to see the flames which soared more than 50 feet.

Speaking about the fire, acting chief fire officer Graham Thompson said: "When the fire crews arrived, they found a well developed fire already in progress.

"More help was summoned and in all we had 14 pumps, an aerial ladder platform as well as our control and incident support unit on site."

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