THESE smouldering remains were all that was left standing after a major blaze ripped through one of Blackburn’s most popular nightclubs in 1972.

Police said that the fire which destroyed the Cavendish Club was ‘entirely accidental’ and was thought to have started in a rubbish chute about 15 minutes after the last customer left.

The distinctive club, built on stilts on top of the town’s main shopping centre, went up in flames just a week before Christmas.

Following the fire more than 20 shops in the town centre precinct were forced to clase.

Mr William Snape, secretary of Blackburn Chamber of Trade estimated that shopkeepers lost around £200,000 in stock and fittings.

He said: “It is a tragic thing for this to happen the week before Christmas.”

At its height, the blaze was so fierce it required what was then the largest number of pumps ever to be used at an incident in Blackburn with 27 appliances,105 men and 17 jets needed to contain the fire

The nightspot would arise from the ashes under several different names over the years including Peppermint Place.