A FIRE ripped through the garden of a couple’s house in Radcliffe — just days before they are set to tie the knot.

James Airey and Jane Seddon were in bed at their house in Belgrave Drive when the fire destroyed their shed at about 11pm on Tuesday.

The couple, who have been together for eight years and are both aged 26, vowed that the blaze would not get in the way of their marriage, which was held at the Higher Trapp Hotel in Burnley on Saturday.

The fire was so ferocious that as well as destroying the shed, it smashed the glass of next door’s greenhouse, singed a nearby tree, and cracked the windows of their conservatory.

Mr Airey, a technical salesman, said: “We both heard a pop, and came downstairs to see what was happening. Everyone in the street was outside watching.

“I went outside and thought I could do something, but as soon as I picked up the hosepipe I realised how strong the flames were.

“We had the gas fire for our barbecue nearby, so I quickly moved that and came inside.”

The shed contained a range of tools and gardening equipment, all of which were destroyed, as well as music speakers.

But despite the trail of destruction, Mr Airey says nothing would stop them walking down the aisle at the weekend.

Speaking before the wedding, he said: “It’s absolutely typical. It’s all we needed at the moment.

“But we will carry on. I am trying to get other people to help sort it out so we can focus on the wedding.”

Mr Airey’s fiancée Jane is 29 weeks pregnant with their first child, which will be a girl.

He said: “She was quite upset about it, and we decided to go and stay at my parents’ for the night.

“It is all right now, but the main thing is that no one was hurt, and that we are insured.”

Firefighters took 30 minutes to put out the flames, but they could not be sure what caused it.

Steve Wilcock, watch commander at Bury fire station, said: “This one has left us scratching our heads.

“Initially, we thought it could be down to a discarded cigarette but the owner of the property said no one smokes.

“The only other reasonable explanation was that some compost set off a reaction and started the fire, though that is a rare occurrence.”