ARSONISTS are being warned that they put lives at risk by targeting an empty shop.

Crews from Bacup and Rawtenstall fire stations were called to a former second-hand shop at the junction of Commercial Street and Newchurch Road, Stacksteads, early on Monday morning.

It was the second time the shop, which has been empty for several years, had been deliberately set alight in less than a fortnight.

Firefighters had also tackled a blaze nine days previously.

And a leading firefighter has warned that his officers may not go inside the building if there were future incidents because it "was not worth risking their safety".

Rawtenstall watch manager Ian Johnston said: "The building is boarded up but people - most probably young people - keep breaking in and using it as a den before setting fire to it.

"Various floorboards of the two-storey building are burnt through or we've removed them, so it's getting increasingly dangerous for anyone who goes in, whether it be youngsters or firefighters.

"There are big gaps in the floor, and as we remove the weakened elements it's getting worse and worse.

"The police are aware of the issue but we need to get across to youngsters the danger involved, and appeal to them to stop.

"It will get to the point when we may not be prepared to send firefighters into the building because of the unsafe structure, as it is not worth risking their safety for an empty derelict building.

"But that will mean putting the fire out from the outside instead, which takes longer so will have the knock-on effect of keeping fire-engines and crews tied up."

The two crews spent over an hour putting out the blaze at 2.30am on Monday. He added: "The kids might think they are doing is relatively harmless, but it's a lot riskier than it seems."