LONG-suffering residents have called for ‘eyesore’ buildings to be demolished after one of them was targeted in a suspected arson. 

Arsonists are believed to be responsible for the fire on the site of the former John Bull’s Fish and Chips shop in Stansfeld Street, Blackburn, in the early hours of Monday morning. 

The blaze, which broke out at around 3.30am, involved rubbish in the back yard of the chippy with the flames then spreading to an outbuilding. 

Gerry Almond, 66, who has lived on Stansfeld Street for 26 years, called for the empty buildings, which include the chippy, the former Mambo’s tanning centre and another house, to be pulled down. 

Council chiefs confirmed the buildings have been purchased and that plans are afoot to demolish them to make way for the new Griffin housing development. 

Mr Almond said: “The buildings including the chippy are a real eyesore.

“The chippy has been closed for a good year now and they attract anti-social behaviour.

“You get people breaking into the chippy all the time, so it doesn’t surprise me there was a fire there.

“I believe the council own them now and are planning to pull them down and I hope that’s done soon.”

Another resident John Coupe, who has lived on Stansfeld Street for 15 years, said: “The buildings are a mess and attract anti-social behaviour so hopefully they’ll be knocked down soon.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council regeneration boss Cllr Phil Riley said: “We’ve recently purchased the buildings and there are plans to demolish them as soon as possible for the Griffin housing development.

“This site has been a source of great frustration to us and we will be absolutely delighted when we get a developer to build new housing there.”

The development will also see the former Griffin pub knocked down as part of a scheme to clear the Griffin regeneration area for the building of 150 new homes.

The fire at the chippy is believed to have been started deliberately.

Police were notified of the suspected arson.

A fire service spokesman said: “Firefighters used hosereel and main jets to extinguish the fire.”

Nobody was injured following the fire.