A FIRE which was deliberately started in a camper van quickly spread to a nearby mill.

Crews were called to Clement Street, Accrington, when a police officer noticed a glow coming from the van at 1.20am today .

By the time they arrived, the fire had spread to a former electrical contractor's shop in Griffin Works, causing a major gas leak and damaging ceilings.

The area was sealed off for an hour while the leak was stopped and the fire brought under control.

Watch manager Liam Barker said: "There were cylinders involved so it was quite dangerous for a little while until we had got it under control.

"We were using hose reels with foam to try to minimise the damage to the building as much as we could, and in the end the damage was kept down to the gas supply, some wiring and parts of the ceiling, but the camper van was completely burned out.

"It does look like this was an arson attack, and people need to be aware of how easily fires can spread and become very dangerous, like this one did."

Police are now trying to contact the owner of the van, and have asked anyone with information about the incident to call Accrington CID on 01254 353741.