ARSONISTS are believed to have set fire to a special needs school in Farnworth.

Flames threatened to spread from a storeroom at Harrowby Adult Training Centre, Mill Street, to the rest of the school.

Residents alerted firefighters who contained the blaze in the stockroom.

Station Officer Bill Edwards said the fire appeared to have been started at around 7pm last night when petrol or gas lighter fluid was poured through a vent and set alight.

He said: "It's sickening to see that people can do this to a special school. The place was so close to completely going up in flames."

Police are investigating.