FIREFIGHTERS are warning business owners to make sure they store material safely after vandals set light to pallets stacked outside a factory.

Crews from Farnworth station were called to Robertshaws blinds in Lark Hill, where long wooden pallets had been stacked against an outside wall.

A passing milkman raised the alarm, at 6.45am yesterday, after he noticed a stack had been set alight.

Watch manager Tim Greenwood said: "The building was heavily smoke-logged when we got there and fire had spread through the window, causing some slight fire damage to the ground and first floor.

"The window frames were completely destroyed.

"There were rolls of material inside and if we'd arrived a few minutes later, we could have been dealing with a very serious fire indeed.

"If businesses leave items like pallets stacked against buildings, then sadly it can tempt people, so we would warn business owners to make sure items are stored securely."

Nobody was inside the building at the time of the fire.