A CARAVAN fire in Farnworth is believed to be arson.

Firefighters from Bury Central and Farnworth fire stations were called to an allotment in Devon Street at about 1.15pm.

Crew manager Martin Finch from Farnworth, said: "We were called by a passerby, when we arrived the caravan was engulfed in flames.

"It has been totally destroyed due to the fire."

It took the crews around 20 minutes to get the fire under control and Mr Finch said the cause was likely to be deliberate.

Some sheds which were near to the caravan have suffered minor damage from the fire.

Neighbours in the area had seen the fire crews arrive but were unsure how the fire had started. 

One resident said: "We saw the fire engines and could smell the smoke but other than that we couldn't see anything. 

"There's alaways fires around here, it's the kids. They're always setting fire to bins and they keep taking ours."

Another neighbour said the allotment used to be owned by an elderly man who died a few years ago. She said he used to keep it as an allotment but that now she never saw anybody use the plot. 

The allotment is between the back of All Saints CE Primary School and the railway line.