UP TO 60 firefighters battled to control a huge mill blaze in Farnworth on Monday.

Yellow smoke billowed across the town from the fire at Harrowby Mill, Harrowby Street.

There were fears that nearby homes would have to be evacuated as the blaze threatened to ignite gas cylinders stored inside the building.

The first and second floors and the roof of the three-storey building were alight by the time fire crews from Bolton Central, Bolton North, Farnworth and Atherton fire stations arrived at the scene at 6am.

Two hours later at least half the building had been destroyed and a partial collapse of the roof hampered firefighters' attempts to contain the inferno.

Fire chiefs warned that if acetylene cylinders on the ground floor of the mill were exposed to the flames, they could explode. It would mean evacuating homes around the mill, which included elderly people's sheltered accommodation.

More than 10 businesses are based in the mill, which had recently been modernised.

The businesses included Harrowby Mill Carpets, RJM Bedrooms, B and S Plastics, Bolton Metal Spinning Company, North West turf Supplies and Ross Gas.

Many of the businesses were located on the ground floor, which was not affected by the blaze, but it is thought they could be damaged by smoke and water.

Steve Walker, aged 57, who owns ground floor business B & S Plastics, said: "I arrived at work at 6.50am and saw the smoke. I thought: 'That's our mill'.

"We have been saying for some time that this mill was going to go up because we are always ringing the police about kids getting in. We put barbed wire around the place but nothing has stopped them. If they want to get in, they will."

A fire spokesman said: "It is a bit early to start speculating because we are still fighting the fire, but there has been a history of kids starting fires."

Road closures were in place in Almond Street, at the junction of Harrowby Street and Sutherland Street and the junction of Albert Road and Westminster Avenue.

A nursery school in St Germain Street also had to be closed.

This afternoon, fire crews were keeping a close watch on the gas cylinders as they brought the fire under control.

No more road closures were being planned.