A VACANT home in Padiham has been set alight for the second time this summer.

The property, in Ingham Street, was initially targeted in June and firefighters had to attend the scene again this morning after rubbish was set alight in the back yard.

One crew from Burnley and one from the retained station in Padiham spent more than two hours extinguishing the blaze after being called out at 1.45am.

Acting crew manager Simon Wright, from Burnley fire station, said: “There was a lot of rubbish left over from the original fire and this time it was quite a severe fire which was spreading to adjoining properties.

“There is no-one in this house, it’s all boarded up, but there were people nearby who could have been affected.

“We didn’t have to evacuate anyone as the police made the area safe. There was some damage to the exterior of the building, mainly the guttering.”