A CATERING unit has been destroyed in a deliberate fire at an industrial estate.

Burnley fire crews spent an hour at Liverpool Road in Burnley putting out a fire at a mobile catering unit from 10pm last night.

The inside of the unit was badly damaged with shelves gutted out.

Fire crews were forced to cut the door out to gain entry.

Smoke from the fire billowed out around the industrial road and a passerby alerted police and fire.

Fire services believe the fire was caused deliberately with police having spoken to the owners about who may have caused it.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "It is a waste of out resources as if there was a fire elsewhere in Burnley, then we would have needed crews from Nelson or Padiham to come out.

"It takes us away from more serious fires and we urge members of the public to alert police if they have any information."

CCTV from the area is also to be investigated later today.

There was nobody inside at the time of the fire and the site was last visited at 2pm on the day of the fire.

The incident is currently under police investigation.