RESIDENTS of an Old Trafford street had a lucky escape in the early hours of this morning after a rubbish fire started by arsonists spread to a gas pipe at a nearby house.

At around 1am on Wednesday October 26, fire crews scrambled to Shrewsbury Street to reports of a blaze.

Arsonists had torched a pile of household rubbish in an alleyway, which had spread to a gas pipe and supply of a house on the street.

The residents were evacuated and thankfully, no one was hurt.

Firefighters extinguished the fire and the gas supply was isolated. Crews were at the scene for around three and a half hours.