Explosion rips through shop

An explosion and fire at a lock-up shop in Lancashire forced the evacuation of nearby houses.

Emergency crews were called to the shop in Burnley in the early hours of Sunday.

The shop, which is facing possible demolition, was empty when the explosion took place, at about 0130 BST.

Police and fire crews found the shop, in Marlborough Road, well ablaze when they arrived.

A Lancashire police spokesman said several nearby homes were evacuated and the road was sealed off.

He said: "The cause of the explosion is not known currently, but the building has been left badly damaged.

"It will be inspected later to assess whether it will need to be demolished."