A MAN was left shamefaced after his garden bonfire spread and destroyed his neighbour’s outbuildings on a nearby allotment.

The householder was burning garden rubbish at his Greenhead Avenue home in Little Harwood, Blackburn, when the bonfire spread and set fire to his timber shed.

Within a short time the fire had spread to allotments next to the man’s property causing heat damage to numerous greenhouses and sheds.

Blackburn Fire Station crew manager John Riley said: “It was quite a blaze and attracted some attention as all the neighbours came out to have a look.

"However, many soon realised that their own property was being damaged and they were none too pleased.

“It was fairly embarrasing for the man concerned.

"Householders are only really allowed to burn small easily-controlled amounts, such as twigs, in a safe location where the fire cannot spread.

“Although the rubbish being burned in this case was not a huge amount, it had gotten out of control quite quickly.”

Fire crews were at the scene for over an hour on Friday damping down and ensuring the wider area was safe and the fire totally extinguished.