ALMOST 30 firefighters battled a deliberate blaze at a mill for several hours last night.

The former Gazelle Contract Furnishing building in Canal Street, Clayton-le-Moors, went up in flames at around 11pm.

The two-storey premises has been derelict for a number of years, but firefighters said it had been broken into and set on fire.

It is being treated as an arson attack and police are investigating.

Four crews from across East Lancashire fought the flames throughout the early hours of this morning and by 9am they were damping down.

However, part of the ground floor was still burning and they needed an aerial ladder platform and thermal imaging camera to make sure the building was safe.

The severity of the flames caused the roof to collapse.

Nelson watch manager Roy Edwards said: “The fire is contained to one of the buildings but has destroyed the inside.

"The roof of the building has fallen in due to the severity of the fire.”

Fire crews said there was evidence of previous break-ins.

The 30,000 sq ft premises was sold to the Water Board in 2006 and Gazelle was closed down after 15 years.

The building has been earmarked for demolition for a number of years.

It is part of the Clayton Triangle area which is planned for redevelopment.