A BLACKPOOL market was saved from being razed to the ground thanks to the skill of firefighters and an alert taxi driver.

The driver spotted smoke pouring from St John's Indoor Market, behind Talbot Road bus station, at 5.30 on Bank Holiday Monday morning.

When firefighters arrived a martial arts stall and a rug stall were ablaze.

Using a hose reel and eight sets of breathing apparatus they managed to douse the flames within half an hour.

Only the two stalls were destroyed, though parts of the roof were severely charred and the rest of the building was affected by smoke and soot.

Assistant divisional fire officer Dave Waywell praised his staff, saying: "There was every possibility that had we not been alerted at that stage and contained it so well, the market would have been razed to the ground.

"The crews deserve all the praise they can get. Both luck and skill played their part."

The fire, he added, was not being treated as suspicious. An electrical fault was the likely cause.

This week the cleaning up operation was still going on in the market, owned by Blackpool Borough Council.

Council spokesman Bob Osgood said: "Structurally it is safe, but we need to test the electrical system to ensure it is safe as well.

"We want to re-open as soon as possible, but we can't put a date on it yet. There is a lot of cleaning up to be done."

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