Fireman hurt in 'death trap' works blaze

And today the new owners of the former Warwick and Bailey works in Richmond Hill Street, Accrington, pledged to transform the building into luxury flats.

Fire officers have been calling for the owners to remove dangerous chemicals for more than six months.

It is believed the huge fire, in which a retained firefighter from Great Harwood suffered cuts to his face and eye, was deliberately started by children.

More than 40 firefighters battled for three hours to extinguish the blaze, which was started when a container of pigmentation dyes was set alight.

A spokesman for Kiely developers, a Bury firm, said: "We are in the process of buying the building subject to planning permission being granted.

"Once we become the owners, any chemicals that have been left in the building would be removed immediately.

"The plan is turn the building into around a hundred luxury flats and we will be putting a full planning application in with the next four to six weeks."

Station Officer John Hinton said the building was a major safety hazard for surrounding residents.

He said: "There is a cocktail of chemicals which have just been left in the building which could have a fatal affect on anyone who comes into contact with them."

Steve Todd, the head of Environmental Health at Hyndburn Council, said: "The only powers we have as an authority are to make sure the building is left properly secured and we will be taking steps to make sure the building is secured again following last night's incident."

The former owners of the building, Warwick and Bailey Engineering, of Hall Street, Blackburn, say they cleared the premises when they moved out.

Glassfibre manufacturers Vandalite, who now operate from the Globe Works, Accrington, but used to be based in Richmond Hill Street, say they no longer have any responsibility for the premises.

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