POLICE are investigating an arson attack on an empty office block.

Firefighters discovered drinks bottles filled with petrol, planted throughout the two-storey building in Borough Road, Middlesbrough.

The bottles ranged from two-litre cola bottles to milk bottles and mini drinks bottles on the first floor - waiting for the flames from the fire started on the ground floor to reach them.

Others had been planted in the loft. They were all handed to Cleveland Police.

Station Officer Kevin Harrison said: "This was not just a wanton act of vandalism, there has been some planning. Someone, for whatever reason, has wanted to burn this place down.

"We found between ten and 20 bottles strategically placed around the building. If they had gone up it would have been a very intensive fire.''

He described the fireraisers as "reckless".

Smoke from the midnight blaze had started billowing out across Borough Road.

The blaze would have been more serious if it had been spotted later into the night. As it was, about 15 firefighters were at the scene for about an hour.

Crews encountered another hazard as the smoke from the ground floor fire began to clear - dozens of drug takers' needles littering the floor.