FIREFIGHTERS say a 100-year-old church was under threat from four fires started by arsonists.

Youths are believed to be responsible for the blazes.

Young people have been spotted climbing on to the roof of the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church on Walmesley Road, Leigh, to hold drunken parties.

Station Officer Paul Sharples, at Leigh Fire Station, said the building could have been burnt to the ground if neighbours had not quickly raised the alarm.

He said firefighters discovered one blaze in a store room, another in a double garage attached to the church and two on the roof at 8.15pm on Friday.

His team were quickly able to put out the flames using a hose reel jet restricting the damage suffered by the church to just a few hundred pounds.