A car has ploughed into a row of shops before bursting into flames in Blackburn.

Emergency services were called to Bank Top at around 6.30am on Saturday after a car, which is believed to have been travelling at excessive speeds, crashed into a newsagents opposite St Wilfrid's school on Bank Top.

Bury Times:

The driver, a man, has been detained by the police and is thought to have suffered head injuries.

No-one else was injured in the crash.

Bury Times:

Hasan Naqvi who lives in the flat above the shop said: "I heard a really loud bang which woke me up. 

"It sounded like a truck had crashed right through into my bedroom.

"I had to come down the stairs and get out of the flat and I saw the driver trying to get out of the car and the car was on fire.

"It was a real shock.

"I think he was injured and looked like he had a head injury.

"I don't think the building structure is damaged, but it's mainly the shutters and the front of the shop that has been affected, and I can't get back into the flat until someone comes to remove the shutters and the glass.

"I think the driver was arrested and the police will be investigating what happened."

A spokesperson for the fire service said: "We were called at around 6.30am to a car which had gone into a building and then set on fire.

"The building was a shop with flats above and the occupants of the flat were evacuated.

"We believe the speed the car was going at was ridiculously fast."

Bury Times:

As of 9am on Saturday only the police and Electricity North West remained on scene awaiting a health and safety representative to allow access to the shop so the electricity could be isolated.