SUSPECTED car thieves left the remains of two torched cars on moorland in East Lancashire after a ‘demolition derby’.

Car parts and the shells of a burnt-out Nissan Terrano and Volvo car were left in a field off Manchester Road, in Hapton, in the early hours of Saturday.

Firefighters, from nearby Padiham, said part of the Volvo exploded before it could be extinguished, just after 2am.

The vehicles were left in a field scattered with empty cider cans and alco-pop bottles, close to the entrance of the former Hepworth factory.

Each of the vehicles appeared to have been driven around the secluded spot, overlooking the Stonemoor Bottoms estate, before they were set ablaze.

The Nissan was stolen in the Hapton area on Tuesday and had been spotted at various locations around the Burnley area before the fire.

Police are investigating how, and where, the Volvo disapp-eared.

A friend of the Nissan owner said: “They have removed the doors and the bonnet from the car – because there are no markings on things like that.”

Before the Volvo was torched, it is also apparent the car’s front end was removed from the scene.

Previously, a barrier prevented access to the old front entrance to Hepworth’s, but the makeshift earthworks have been damaged, meaning people can get through.

Neighbours on the nearby estate are said to have heard the cars being driven around, and witnessed the ensuing fire.

A police spokesman said the incident would be investigated by officers in Padiham.