TRADERS on a Burnley street that has been closed for a month because of a fire said their businesses are being affected.

A huge fire ravaged a block of flats on the corner of Plumbe Street and Temple Street on March 21.

The block of flats are not considered safe at the moment but the council is in disagreement with the owners over who will pay to erect scaffolding to make it safe.

Until that is done the road is likely to remain closed.

Pam Marshall, who owns the New Way Dry Cleaners, in Temple Street, said: “It is a month now since the fire and the road is still closed.

“It is a ridiculous situation, all the traders round here are struggling because of it. If it doesn’t get sorted soon and the council has to take action we could be looking at an even longer delay, but nobody round here can afford that, we need something to be done now.”

The council is now taking legal action ag-ainst the owners of the building to ensure a swift resolution to the problem.

A spokesman for Pennine Lancashire Building Control Service, on behalf of Burnley Council, said: “We are continuing to work with the owners of the fire damaged buildings in Plumbe Street to ensure that the appropriate works are undertaken to enable the road to be reopened as soon as possible.

“We have also now instigated the appropriate legal proceedings to safeguard against any undue delay."