A MENTAL health ward was evacuated at the Royal Bolton Hospital after a blaze broke out.

Fire crews from Farnworth were called at about 12.15pm on Thursday, after a mattress caught fire.

Patients and nurses were moved to another area of the hospital while firefighters tackled the blaze.

Watch manager Carl Haslam said: “We don’t know how the fire started, whether it was accidental or malicious, however police are now investigating.

“When we arrived the ward had already been evacuated and the bedroom door where the fire had started was closed to help contain the fire.

“A whole single mattress was on fire.

“We remained at the scene for about an hour making sure the ward was safe for patients to move back in.”

There were no reported injuries from the incident.