A ROW over the storage of gas bottles could blow up again as plans to store propane and butane at Heasandford, Burnley, look likely to get the go-ahead.

Alta Gas stores 90 tonnes of gas at on the industrial estate and now wants to increase it to 140 tonnes.

And despite the health and safety executive ruling that the proposals create no significant risks, furious residents have voiced their concerns.

They claim that in the event of an accident schools, hospitals and houses in the immediate area would have to be evacuated, and the plans could threaten the natural habitat of plants and wildlife as well as devaluing their property.

But the application looks set to be approved by Burnley Borough Council's development control committee tonighton Thursday.

Council officers' backing of the scheme is a blow for campaigners, who successfully beat off two recent attempts by the Merseyside company to expand after persuading the council not to sell the firm additional land on the industrial estate.

Last year the firm reached initial agreement with the council to buy a site at Heasandford and submitted an application for gas storage.

Residents handed in a 600-name protest petition.

Council officers urged councillors to approve the plan after stating a Health and Safety Executive investigation had given the proposal a clean bill of health.