Person 'missing' after huge blaze

Fire crews are waiting to get back into a burnt-out house in Salford amid fears someone may have been trapped inside.

About 30 firefighters tackled the fire which engulfed the property in Higher Broughton on Friday night.

Reports claimed people were sleeping rough in the house. Crews found no one but one person who may have been inside remains unaccounted for.

Investigators believe the blaze, which has left the house structurally unsafe, may have been started deliberately.

Crews spent the night damping down at the property on Blackfield Lane and are still at the scene.

No-one found

They were initially called to the street at 2050 GMT and found the house well alight upon arrival, a Greater Manchester Fire spokeswoman said.

"It was considered that people may have been sleeping rough and so a search was conducted by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus," said the spokeswoman.

"No persons were found and there are no reports of any casualties," she added.

Despite the search, not all of those suspected to have been in the building have been accounted for.

Firefighters cannot re-enter the building until it is declared safe.