A STREET in Oswaldtwistle has been cordoned off after a ‘leaning’ mill chimney sparked safety fears.

Alarmed residents who spotted what appeared to be a tiliting chimney cont-acted Hyndburn Borough Council leader Peter Britcliffe on New Year’s Eve.

He sent out the borough’s building inspectors to make the chimney safe.

Watson Street, which is off Rhyddings Street and leads to the Global Conference Centre, was cordoned off to prevent anyone from using it until work can be carried out on the building.

The council said the site had been made safe in the short term while it attempted to contact the building’s owner.

Coun Britcliffe said: “I started to receive many reports that the chimney looked unstable from concerned residents in the area so I asked for the borough’s inspectors to investigate immediately.

“It has at some time been made lower and the chimney currently has metal bands around it, which have been securing it in place, but we have found that one of these metal supports is hanging off.

“It may become dangerous so we are to make contacting the owner a priority to protect the safety of the public.

"I asked inspectors to do this as quickly as possible.

“People were obviously very worried. The thought of a chimney becoming unstable and dropping into the street below was not very pleasant and it would cause a great deal of damage.

“In the short term, the street has been cordoned off to prevent anyone from approaching the building.

"I would like to reassure people that we will do everything necessary to ensure the owner is informed and the long-term safety of people in the area is ensured.

“It is amazing how these things always seem to happen around the Christmas or New Year break, but we have been out to deal with the incident and make the area safe.”