FIRE raced through the roof of Padiham medical centre shortly after midnight on Monday.

The fire is believed to have started from an electrical fault on a boiler.

The medical centre, owned and run by five doctors, was forced to close because of the damage. The fire spread along the whole of the roofspace, which contained the building's electricity and water supply.

Only two consulting rooms and the reception area escaped relatively unscathed.

Emergency treatment for patients was transferred to the nearby Padiham Clinic, run by Burnley Health Care.

Firefighters from Padiham called for re-enforcements from Burnley.

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