FIREFIGHTERS have sent out a warning to youngsters after they tackled a deliberate gas cylinder fire in an empty mill.

Police are investigating the blaze in a mill off Randall Street in Blackburn at around 7pm on Saturday.

Three LPG cylinders had been found on the site and the gas from one of these cylinders was released before being set alight.

Dave Hilliard, crew manager at Blackburn Fire Station, said the incident could have caused 'extreme danger' to nearby residents if the canisters had exploded.

He said: "These youngsters were causing a danger to themselves as well as others by tampering with gas bottles.

"This could have been a lot worse had the situation been slightly different and I would urge parents to make sure that their children do not go anywhere near the mill."