A SENIOR firefighter today issued a stark warning over a “death trap” warehouse after thousands of needles were found inside.
The derelict Reads Avenue building was targeted in a suspected arson attack on Sunday which saw 12 firefighters tackle the blaze.
Heroin
The fire left a gaping hole in the roof and emergency crews were forced to negotiate more than 2,000 used needles while tackling the flames.
The needles were left behind by addicts using the deadly building as a “shooting gallery” to inject heroin.
Locals say the warehouse has stood empty for more than eight years and has become a haven for drug users and children who treat the site as a playground.
Crew manager Andrew Jones, from Blackpool’s Forest Gate Fire Station, is urging youngsters to keep out of the building before they are seriously injured.
He told The Gazette: “Needles are our biggest nightmare when we go to fires and this place is full of drug paraphernalia. We could easily catch ourselves on a needle and be facing months of HIV tests straight away.
“It’s a massive danger for children who are attracted to playing here because it looks fun to them.
“But it has unstable floors, no doors, the main staircase is missing steps and the roof is close to falling in.
“The danger won’t stop them from coming in here. It is a magnet for them but it’s a death trap.
“Any children who see this as a playground should stay away.
“Derelict buildings are a health hazard and extremely dangerous.”
The firefighters who tackled the original blaze at 7.10am entered the building in semi-darkness with breathing apparatus.
And crew manager Jones says the conditions inside the building could have led to one of his men being seriously injured combating a fire which should never have started.
Full story - see Tuesady’s Gazette
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