THREE people died in a mystery house fire in Chorley early today.

Teams of police forensic officers and firefighters were searching through the debris for clues to how the blaze in the mid terraced house in St Gregory's Place, Chorley, started just after 3am.

Police will have to use medical records to identify the three bodies which were burned beyond recognition.

Firefighters struggled to get close to the council house because of the fierce flames coming out of the windows and doors.

Sub officer Tony Hartley said: "The flames were coming right out of all the windows and doors. We immediately evacuated the houses on either side. "It took a while to get into the house because the flames were beating us back."

Fire teams from Chorley and Leyland battled for four hours and fire investigation officers are expected to be at the scene most of today searching for clues to the cause.

Sub officer Hartley added: "The house was almost totally burned out and there was only the kitchen area that escaped unscathed."

The fire also spread through the roof to an adjoining property and caused some damage to the roof and bedrooms.

Inspector Ian Rawson from Lancashire Police said the bodies were too badly burned to be identified.

He said: "They have been taken to the mortuary at Royal Preston Hospital and medical records will be used to identify them.

"We don't whether it is suspicious."

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