EMPLOYEES on their tea break dialled 999 after spotting smoke coming from their workshops in Church today.

The fire, at furniture makers Pendle Woodcrafts Ltd, blew a hole in the roof of the workshops in Church Street after it began at about 9.30pm.

Site foreman Leonard Owen said: "We were in the brew room across the site having a break. One of the lads was outside having a cigarette and he spotted smoke coming out of the building.

"I ran down to take a look inside but I couldn't get in because the place was filled with smoke, so we called the fire brigade. It all happened in five minutes while we were on our break, and it's blown a hole in the roof."

Four fire crews attended to deal with the blaze.

Staff believe the fire began in an extraction system and were today set to work out if any much stock had been damaged.

The company has nine workers at its Church site, although at least two were not at work today.

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