Arsonists are being blamed for a major blaze which engulfed four derelict houses and a disused shop.

Around 40 firefighters spent nearly four hours tackling the fire on Blackburn Road, Accrington which started around 8pm on Tuesday, November 6.

The empty Kit's off-licence and convenience store was also damaged as six crews battled to put out the flames.

Neighbours have now called for the houses to be demolished to prevent further arson attacks.

The fire is believed to have started in the first floor of one of the mid-terraced properties before spreading to the roof.

The fire service said nobody was in the properties at the time and no-one needed to be evacuated.

Watch manager Gary Hargreaves said they are treating the fire as "suspicious" and said there are signs of forced entry.

He said: "When we arrived the fire was fully developed on the first floor of one of the properties and had spread to the roof.

"The fire started in one of the empty properties and caused severe damage to both the first floor and roofs of several of the properties.

"There was some damage to the ground floor of the shop which was connected to the properties. The fire is being treated as suspicious and will be investigated by ourselves and police. We will check with nearby CCTV cameras to see if there is any evidence."

Blackburn Road was closed in both directions overnight as a fire crews used an aerial ladder and hose reels to contain the fire.

As the fire spread to the roof a large number of slates slid onto the street.

Firefighters continued to dampen down the scene throughout the night and the road was reopened after several hours.

A police spokesperson said the fire is now under investigation.

Neighbour Mohammed Saleem, 40, who lives with his wife and two children, said: "I had just come back from work and there was a little bit of smoke coming out of the houses and then I saw big flames coming out of the middle house.

"I was scared as it was very close to my house. They should knock those houses down as they are not safe. Anybody could get in and set it on fire. If that happens and I am not home then something could happen to my house or family."

The arson comes only a month after an inferno tore through Barnes Furniture warehouse in Accrington.

The Observer reported how landlords were being warned to tighten up security at their empty properties or risk becoming the next target for arsonists.

Councillor Tony Dobson said: "This is another good example of the dangers of empty properties because whoever owns them will need to spend a lot of money on them to get them back up to scratch.

"It's a warning to all owners not to leave properties derelict and if not then at least make it look like it's occupied with curtains and lights."