DESERT winds thought to be from the Sahara coated cars and buildings in East Lancashire over the weekend.

Readers from the Ribble Valley called the Lancashire Evening Telegraph blaming Castle Cement works in Clitheroe for the layer of dust.

But a spokesman for the company said: "This dust is nothing whatever to do with the cement works. It is a naturally occurring Weather feature."

A long queue of cars waited to be washed outside Jan's 24 Hour Service Station, Accrington Road, Blackburn.

Proprietor Yusuf Jan Virmani said: "We have been quite busy today, and the sand means we have to hose the cars down before they go through the car wash, so that the paintwork is not damaged."

A spokesman for Manchester Weather said: "We think this dust comes from somewhere in the Sahara desert, although we cannot be certain without analysing it.

"Over the last week or so there have been sandstorms in the Sahara, and dust can be carried on winds at more than 20,000 feet.

"The winds over this country at the moment are coming from that direction, and rain has brought it down over areas such as Lancashire."

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