SMOKE could be seen for miles around when 300 tons of Perspex sheets went up in flames at a Darwen factory.

Firefighters battled for more than five hours to put out the blaze in the storage area at Du Vergier, India Street, early yesterday.

The damaged was confined to Perspex waiting to be processed and wooden pallets kept at the front of the building.

Phil Almond, of nearby Radford Street, said: "I saw black smoke from my backyard and rushed over.

"The plastic was well alight. It looked from a distance as if the whole building was on fire."

Assistant Divisional Officer Chris Norse said: "When we first arrived at the scene the fire looked worse than it actually was. We managed to stop it spreading to the factory.

"The cause of the fire is being investigated. We are looking at the possibility that children are responsible after being told the company has trouble with youngsters trespassing on the property."

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