POLICE and firefighters were called to reports of a loud explosion in Rishton last night.

The incident happened at the Sweet Memories sweetshop in High Street at 7pm and led to the evacuation of residents.

Police said neighbours reported hearing a loud bang before calling the emergency services.

The fire started in the rear yard of the building and spread to to the back of the property which houses PH Sealants.

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Two crews from Hyndburn Station were at the scene until midnight.

Eight firefighters wearing breathing apparatus went into the building and used two hose reels to put the fire out. Extractor fans were also used to clear smoke from neighbouring shops.

Nobody was injured and police said the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing children at the back of the property moments before the fire started.

Hyndburn station crew manager Gary Drinkwater said: "We were initially called at 7.01pm to reports of a fire in the back yard of a property in High Street Rishton. Then at 7.04pm we got a second call to say the fire had now spread to the building so we sent two appliances from Hyndburn Station.

"There has been a fire at the back yard and then it has gone through in to the building. It has properly gutted the back of the building which is a builder's merchants. When we arrived it was well alight. The front of the building is smoke damaged.

"Two teams of four firefighters have gone in to the building wearing breathing apparatus and managed to get the fire under control with two hose reel jets.

"We have also used two positive pressure fans to clear smoke. The neighbouring businesses have been heavily smoke logged. We had to evacuate the flat next door.

"There is no structural damage to the inside of the building but the back of the building has totally gone.

"The cause of the fire is under investigation and we are not ruling out arson. There is currently a fire investigator at the scene,"

Inspector Simon Holderness said: "We were called to reports of a loud explosion at a shop in High Street, Rishton, at around 7.30pm this evening. The shop has had a lot of rubbish in it and there has been a loud bang from the property which has alarmed the neighbours.

"We believe an item within the rubbish has combusted and made a loud bang. It may have been an aerosol.

"The cause of the fire is under investigation.

"Nobody has been injured."

Any witnesses are asked to call the police on 101.