A FORMER council leader watched his family business go up in flames last night.

Bill Fleming, former Tory leader of Ribble Valley Council, could only look on as 50 firefighters fought the blaze at the waste paper and scrap metal business, Ellen Shirley Ltd, off Whalley Range, Blackburn.

Mr Fleming, who runs the business with his brother Albert, said: "It was started by my great grandmother in 1860 and this is the biggest catastrophe that's ever happened." Staff from the business managed to rescue three vehicles - one of which was on fire - and a trapped guard dog from the burning mill at the bottom of Percival Street. Mr Fleming added: "At this stage it's very difficult to estimate the cost as we don't know how much is retrievable."

Blackburn Station Officer Andrew Barnes said crews from all over East Lancashire and outside the area had tackled the blaze through the night.

"It was a very severe fire," he said. "The difficult thing was stopping it from spreading to two other mills nearby."

He strongly denied claims from some residents that it had taken the fire brigade three quarters of an hour to get there.

"We had 34 calls altogether. We got the first at 22.44 pm and we were in attendance within four minutes," he said.

Ellen Shirley Ltd has been the target for vandals in the past and the cause of the fire was being investigated today.

Fire crews were also at the mill dampening down the remnants of the fire.

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