CUSTOMERS at a beauty salon were forced to leave mid-treatment after shops were evacuated when a nearby car garage caught fire.

Fire crews from Haslingden, Rawtenstall, Hyndburn, Greater Manchester and specialist hazard clearance equipment from Burnley were called to the incident at New Street Garage in Haslingden at 11am today.

Karen Trainer, part owner of Cuticles, was shocked when her customers were told to get out of the shop.

She said: “I was upstairs at the time and one of my members of staff shouted that the fire brigade were telling us to get out.

“I said we couldn’t as some of our customers still had colours in their hair.

“Anyway we rinsed the colours out and some had to get out with wet hair."

She continued: “There was lots of smoke going passed the window.

“We had to quickly move our cars too. We were told that the thick smoke had come from the chemicals and tyres at the garage. So that is why people on the street were being evacuated.

“We heard a few loud bangs which had people worried but we thought it must have been something in the garage."

Hyndburn Station watch manager Caroline Harrison said the evacuation was necessary as they were worried about a potential gas explosion.

She said: “We had to put a cordon in place because we were led to believe there were some acetylene gas cylinders on site and there was a risk to people because it is capable of causing an explosion of 100m.

“It is a stone building so we managed to confine it and cool the cylinders down. The owner reported it had started in a car but an investigation is underway and how the fire started is unclear.”

Nearby houses and businesses were evacuated due to fears over fumes.

Cllr Ann Kenyon, who represents the Worsley ward on Hyndburn Borough Council and owns nearby Kenyon’s Taxis, said: “There was quite a large turnout of police and firefighter in Deardengate and New Street and Manchester Road.

“We were all evacuated as they were really concerned about the black smoke."