YOBS who tried to set 11 propane gas cylinders alight have been condemned as "idiots". They also built a burning barricade 300 yards from the incident, in Millgate, Paddock at about 10pm last night, in a bid to prevent firefighters from getting to the cylinders.
The crews narrowly managed to avert a major explosion.
"I just can't imagine what goes through their minds," said firefighter David Mellor, of Slaithwaite Fire Station.
"These idiots were obviously trying to cause an explosion.
"The cylinders were like one big bomb and would have blown a house sky high if they had gone off."
Fire crews were called to the premises of Tenka Recyclables, which collects clothing and shoes for African charities, during the evening and discovered the propane cyclinders surrounded by clothing and well alight.
