ARSONISTS are believed to have started a fire at a church in Horwich last night.

The main doors at St Catherine's Church, Queen Street, Horwich are thought to have been set alight and smouldered throughout the night before the blaze took hold this morning.

Staff at the nearby St Catherine's nursing home noticed the smoke at just after 7am today and called the fire brigade.

Firefighters had to remove the doors and part of the ceiling in the porch area, but saved the rest of the church from damage.

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