Police hunt carwash arsonists

The burnt out remains of the Crystal Clear car wash on Manchester Road.

Police have confirmed they are hunting down the arsonists who torched Crystal Clear carwash, causing £100,000 worth of damage.

The popular car wash, on Manchester Road, Castleton, was demolished on Tuesday (24 February) after it was torched in a late night attack.

Ten houses were evacuated and a 200-metre cordon was put in place due to the sheer size of the blaze.

Detective Constable Chris Whalley of Rochdale CID said: "This fire took hold quickly and spread across the building causing a huge amount of damage.

"We would like to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time of the fire or anyone who saw anything suspicious.

"If you have any information, no matter how small, please get in touch."

Karen Taylor, who lives directly opposite the premises said: “I woke up to this horrible crackling sound and a nasty smell.

“I looked out of the window and a large pile of tyres were on fire at the car wash so I rang the fire brigade and they were here within minutes.

“It’s such a big shame as they are really popular and always busy”.

Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 8552 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.