A FIRE was started by youths in a derelict school.

Firefighters were called to the former Ivy Bank School building at 1.30pm and spent two hours putting out the blaze.

The fire was a result of young people entering the grounds and setting fire to one of the rooms in the building. They were not at the scene when the fire service arrived.

A spokesman for Burnley fire service said: “We request parents to remain vigilant of their children’s whereabouts, ensuring they are not going to empty buildings like this as it is very dangerous.

“We don’t want them playing in places like that as they could get hurt, and we couldn’t stress that enough.

“It’s hassle for everyone, and we don’t want them around dangerous places.”

Four fire engines were called to the incident. No one was injured.

Crews have been called out to the school building on a number of previous occasions.

Two years ago, around 20 firefighters tackled a blaze at the school for more than three hours after flames swept through the second floor.

Crews from Burnley, Padiham and Hyndburn the site when the fire spread from a classroom into a large hallway.

The fire service said youths were thought to have set wooden lockers alight before leaving the building.

The building has been empty since 2006 after the school merged with Habergham High School to form Hameldon Community College.

The site, owned by Lancashire County Council, was put up for sale for an undisclosed fee in February 2016.

Ivy Bank was initially a girls high school and became a mixed comprehensive in 1981.

Plans for 250 new homes were been approved earlier this year.

McDermott Homes lodged an application in January to build the new development on the former Habergham and Ivy Bank high schools.

Councillors and residents raised concerns and vowed to fight any development on the land and keep the green space in between the school sites.

The 26-acre site is more than half green open space including former playing fields and ‘habitat areas’.

Burnley Civic Trust was among the objectors, claiming the spaces should be kept for recreation.