FIREFIGHTERS were forced to flee a blazing garage after they discovered three gas cylinders which could have exploded.

Crews had gone into the blaze at Harrison Garage, Lonsdale Street, Accrington, in the early hours today thinking only a store of tyres was on fire.

But once inside they discovered three cylinders containing liquid petroleum gas among the tyres, which could have exploded at any second. The fire is thought to have been started by arsonists.

Hyndburn Fire Station's station officer John Pinner today blasted the arsonists, saying the circumstances in that garage mirrored exactly the fire in Cardiff which recently killed a fireman. He said: "It was an incredibly dangerous situation for us to find ourselves in. The cylinders could have exploded at any moment and it was fortunate we saw them.

"It is very annoying that we are put in that situation by someone who has started a fire on purpose. As soon as we saw the cylinders, the fire crew was called back out and we tackled the fire from a distance. We did damage to remove the cylinders which help us sort things out quicker."

The fire was reported at around 2.30am today and police have been informed of the fire.