THE cause of a blaze which destroyed a three storey mill in Radcliffe is under investigation.

Four lorries were also wrecked in the blaze which was fought by 35 firemen at Barlows Mill off Stand Lane.

The fire is believed to have started in one of the lorries used for carrying skips by the AWR Rent A Skip firm.

Fire crews from Bury, Whitefield and Bolton were called to the scene on Saturday and brought the blaze under control within an hour, but they remained on the site until late in the evening.

Employees from the skip hire firm raised the alarm when they spotted smoke coming from one lorry.

Within minutes the lorry was engulfed by flames which then spread to the other three vehicles inside the three-storey mill and the interior structure of the building.

The mill roof and wooden beams were on fire by the time firefighters arrived. Water was pumped using 50 lengths of hose from Stand Lane up to half a mile away.

An aerial platform was taken to the scene to help firefighters Paul Myerscough, Station Officer, at Bury Fire Station, said the cause of the blaze is still being investigated.

He said: "Someone could have set the vehicle alight maliciously, or something could have happened to the electrics in the truck but it is unlikely.

"The police have been informed."

The work of the fire crews was hampered by the fact that there were gas cylinders inside the mill.

Mark Rogers, aged 26, managing director of the skip hire firm said it would be business as usual next week after a days disruption because of the fire.

He said: "There's no point getting wound up about it all.

"We have had to put things on hold but it will be work as normal. I'll have to bring equipment from our other site in Bolton."