FIREBUGS are thought to have been responsible for starting a massive blaze which destroyed 200 tons of baled paper.

At its height, more than 50 firefighters tackled the fierce outbreak as it ripped through an outside yard at Sca Recycling at the Pilsworth Industrial Estate, Bury.

The blaze destroyed about two-thirds of the overall stock stored in the yard.

Witnesses say several youngsters were seen in the vicinity of the area shortly before the blaze was discovered.

Ten appliances were involved in fighting the fire which broke out on Thursday night (May 24). Crews from Bury, Whitefield, Blackley, Heywood and Rochdale were assisted by special appliances.

As darkness fell, officers set up a lighting unit in the yard to illuminate the area and assist in their operations.

Bury-based Station Officer Kevin Wilkinson said: "The paper was well alight when we got there. It took us about four hours to bring the blaze under control.

"Because there were 200 tons involved, it was a very difficult operation. We saved around a third of the paper."

Fork lift trucks were deployed to separate and break open the blazing bales to allow officers to fully extinguish the fire.

Sub Officer Duncan Millington of Whitefield fire station added: "The wind was also a telling factor as it was quite strong."

Firefighters maintained a presence at the company yard throughout Friday and were involved in damping down operations.

Management at Sca Recycling declined to comment on the incident.

Meanwhile, police investigations into the cause of the blaze are continuing.

Before the outbreak began, some youngsters were spotted on an access road near the yard.

Anyone with information is asked to ring Bury operational police unit on 856 8157.