FIREFIGHTERS have warned that homes due for demolition in Burnley are a potential death trap after youngsters torched a house last night.

Crews were called to the blaze, which had been started deliberately, in Melrose Avenue at 8.45pm.

They found a house and the roof of the neighbouring property well alight.

But because demolition work had already started on the house the floorboards and staircases had been removed, making the structure of the building unsafe. Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus made sure no one was trapped in the building.

Because the building was deemed dangerous they then had to use an ladder platform to tackle the blaze from outside by removing the slates from the roof.

The road had to be cordoned while crews were at the scene and the blaze took three hours to put out.

Station officer Pete Ashworth said: "The contractors were supposed to securing the properties but they were not boarded up properly and kids have had free access.

"But they are risking life and limb because the building is not safe. If they start a fire in there and it takes hold quickly they could be trapped in there.

"These properties either need to be secured or knocked down, but either way that needs to be done quickly."

Firefighters were due to visit the property later today to talk to contractors about the making the site secure.

Bernadette McMahon, 74, whose brother Leonard Gorlitz, 59, lives next to the house that was torched, said: "There have been problems with the kids getting in there.

"It is very dangerous for them, but its easy for them to get in.

"We will be glad when they have been knocked down."

A spokesman for Burnley and Padiham Community Housing, which owns the properties, said: "We will be investigating the incident."