AN illegal warehouse rave party was stopped before it started after the organisers accidentally set fire to their venue.

A group of youths were setting up the rave party in a derelict warehouse in Tan Pits Road, Bury, on Saturday night when one of them set light to a large tractor tyre.

The blaze spread to a pile of rubbish, and the visitors had to evacuate the building before the party had even started.

Police found a generator, speakers and a large quantity of alcohol when they arrived at the building.

Firefighters, who arrived just after 10pm, spent about 40 minutes tackling the blaze.

Watch manager Pete Fletcher said: "The tractor tyre produced a lot of smoke, and plumes of it could be seen from miles around."