CHILDREN playing with matches started a fire in a derelict Cinderford factory known as a hangout for town youths.

The drama began when three 12-year-old boys called 999 saying there was a fire in the former Engelhards laboratory buildings off Valley Road.

It took two of the town's fire crews around an hour to put out the blaze after they were alerted at 12.51pm on Saturday.

The boys later admitted to firefighters that they had accidentally started the blaze and hadn't been able to put it out.

The buildings, which have been empty for around 15 years, are the former laboratories of previous metals recovery business Engelhards.

In Aprillast year an 11-year-old girl found her way on to the roof of a neighbouring building through the derelict labs and fell 30ft through a brittle plastic skylight.

She escaped serious injury after she landed in the padded leather interior of the boat being stored in a garage below.

Gareth Clowes, station manager at Cinderford Fire and Rescue, said the building was a death trap and that more accidents would happen if the buildings weren't secured.

"Access was terrible ," he said. "There were also propane cylinders in the building which can be dangerous in a fire even when they are empty."

All the boys were arrested by police and one of them was given a formal caution. No further action was taken against the other two.