BOLTON town centre is filled with smoke this morning after a JCB caught fire at Bolton Market.

The blaze started at about 8.45am today off Black Horse Street, Bolton.

Firefighters from Bolton Central Fire Station are still on the scene.

Jean Burn, aged 65, from Farnworth, said: “I had just got off the bus and I saw smoke pouring into the sky near to Bolton Market.

"I was worried it was a fire in the market at first but then I realised it coming from machinery parked outside the market.

"It was attracting a lot of spectators as the smell of the smoke and the amount of smoke was dreadful.”

Rick Henthorne, crew manager at Bolton Central Fire Station, said the fire was caused by an electrical fault. The machine had been switched on by workers and left for about 10 minutes then it started smoking and caught fire. Firefighters were at the scene for about 45 minutes.

Police attended but did not need to investigate.