A NEIGHBOUR saved an off licence after spotting that its extractor fan had caught fire.

The man, who was having a cigarette in his yard, spotted the fire at the back of the shop in Back Chorley Old Road at about 1.15am this morning and called the emergency services.

When firefighters arrived the off-licence was full of smoke so they broke into the flat above.

The man who lives there, in his mid-thirties, works in the shop and was able to contact the owner, who arrived at the scene and opened it for the crew.

Rick Henthorn, crew manager at Bolton Central fire station, said: “The shop was full of smoke, and the whole off licence could potentially have gone up in flames, but we got there just in time.

“It was pretty lucky that the guy in his back yard spotted the extractor fan was on fire and rang in.

“We were about to break into the shop through the shutters when the owner arrived to open up, so that was also lucky.”