MORE than 200 cars were destroyed in an arson attack at a breaker's yard.

Around 35 firefighters battled for several hours to bring the blaze at Bury Salvage in Pimhole under control, with exploding petrol tanks hindering their efforts.

The alarm was raised at 10pm on Monday when residents spotted flames. The fire quickly spread and engulfed a large number of cars.

Crews from Bury, Whitefield, Heywood and surrounding towns were called into the tackle the blaze, which was eventually put out four hours later. A number of fire appliances stayed at the scene throughout the night as a precaution. Police are investigating the cause of the blaze, which is being treated as suspicious. Anyone with information is asked to contact Bury CID on (0161) 856 8150 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.