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.
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.
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."
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.
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