DETECTIVES are hunting teenage firebugs believed to be responsible for a spate of arson attacks on garages and homes in the Horwich area over recent months.

Police are probing more than a dozen fires thought to have been started by the young fire raisers. The arsonists are feared to have been responsible for four blazes over the last weekend alone.

The fires at times have stretched the resources of the emergency services to the limit over the last two months.

And police and fire chiefs today warned that lives could be lost. Det Chief Insp David Chetwynd, head of Astley Bridge CID, told the BEN today: "The youths responsible for these fires are playing a very dangerous game indeed. Our fear is that sooner or later someone will be seriously injured - perhaps the youths themselves - as a result of their actions." The police chief urged parents or friends who may have suspicions about who is responsible to get in touch.

"Someone must know or at least be suspicious about their actions or their son or a neighbour," said the senior detective. "I would urge them to get in touch with us now."

The appeal followed three fires in Horwich on Saturday and one late last night. The fires on Saturday were started within a few hours.

And last night the pair are thought to have struck again, torching a bowling hut at the back of a Horwich pub.

The building at the rear of the Bridge Inn on Church Street was totally gutted by the fire at 8.30pm. Fire crews had to fight for an hour.

In recent weeks thousands of pounds worth of damage have been caused to schools and businesses in the area, as the number of blazes in the town mysteriously rocketed.

One leading fireman, from Horwich, said: "It was just plain stupid. We were tied up at one fire when the next one came in.

"They had to bring a crew in from Bolton to cover. If they carry on like this they are going to injure themselves or somebody else." The first fire believed to have been started by the pair was at a disused domestic garage on land at the back of Pioneer Street just before 6pm on Saturday night.

Soon afterwards firefighters were called out to land at the rear of the former Tommy Wright's wine merchants on Winter Hey Lane where arsonists had set fire to 30 tonnes of paper on the back of a 40foot trailer and a skip.

A fire engine from Bolton had to be called out when the firebugs struck again at 9.15 pm, setting fire to a domestic garage on Victoria Road, Horwich.

Police are fire chiefs are also probing attacks on other domestic garages, firms and schools in the Horwich area over the last two months.

The fire spokesman said: "It's getting a bit ridiculous, they seem to be striking every couple of nights. It's usually just one and then another later on but on Saturday night we were still tied up with the trailer when the garage came in. "It's very frustrating because they could really injure somebody. They do not know what is in these garages or buildings. There could be dangerous gas cylinders or anything."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Horwich CID on 0161 856 5785. All calls will be treated in confidence.

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