SMOULDERING drugs paraphernalia left in the doorway of an empty office building started a fire in Manningham in the early hours.

Firefighters from Bradford got the call to the three-storey building in Eldon Place at 1am.

Watch Commander Dave Burland from Bradford Fire Station said the blaze had been burning for sometime before it was spotted and reported.

"It was discarded drugs material left smoking in the doorway that started it off. The building was badly affected, the ground floor was worse off but the whole building was full of smoke," he said.

Firefighters were at the scene for about two hours.

Key holders of the building, which is up for sale, were also there. Police were called but the cause was accidental so are not investigating, added Watch Commander Burland.

The building will now be boarded up to make it safe.