A FAMILY face a heartbreak holiday homecoming after a huge fire swept through their £500,000 luxury home.

The fierce blaze -- possibly started by burglars -- began in the roof but quickly spread and left the four-bedroom home in Lostock a smouldering ruin.

The owners, a couple and their two children, were informed about the blaze in the middle of the night and cut short a Bank Holiday weekend break away to return home.

Neighbours are believed to have raised the alarm after spotting the entire roof of the house -- in Moss Hall Avenue, on the exclusive Arundel Park -- alight at 3am.

Firefighters arrived on the scene to discover the fire was spreading throughout the property.

Fifteen firemen fought the blaze which they brought under control within 30 minutes.

As they waited for the owners to arrive home -- fire chiefs confirmed that the cause of the fire is suspicious. Detectives have been called in to investigate the blaze.

One theory they are investigating is the possibility that burglars may have started the fire attempting to break into the four bedroomed house by melting the burglar alarm.

A police forensic team joined firefighters searching through the debris.

The owners were called by neighbours in the middle of the night and were due to return from a Center Parc complex near Sherwood Forest in Nottingham on Tuesday.

A scene of devastation awaited them. The entire roof of the property was destroyed. All the four upstairs bedrooms were wrecked, some windows were broken and fire damage stained the ornate brickwork.

Scorched beds, mattresses, timber and the family's belongings littered the garden. Downstairs rooms were left smoke-logged and badly water-damaged.

Crews used three water jets to fight the fire.

A fire service spokesman at the scene said: "I am sure the family will be gutted when they see it.

"It must be everyone's worst nightmare. It is lucky that they were not in at the time or this fire could have had fatal consequences."

Neighbours living on the exclusive estate also spoke of their shock this morning as a clean-up operation was launched.

One resident said: "It is terrible and we feel for the family. It was quite a fierce fire and the whole property seemed to be engulfed by flames and smoke. I am sure neighbours will do everything they can to help."