Detectives were today investigating the cause of a massive fire that ripped though a Bradford mill last night.

Up to 65 firefighters were called to the Cannon Mills shopping complex, off Great Horton Road, where a four-story building was ablaze.

The fire is thought to have started on the ground floor shortly after 9.30pm.

When firefighters arrived thick smoke was billowing from the windows of three floors and flames were licking from the ground floor of the building, which is understood to be used as a market hall.

Station Officer Steve Atkinson, of Bradford fire station, said the biggest concern was to try to stop the blaze spreading to other parts of the complex.

Crews from Bradford, Fairweather Green, Odsal, Shipley, Idle and Stanningley took more than an hour to get the fire under control and firefighters were damping down until 1am today.

"The lads did an extremely good job in containing the fire to the ground floor," said Mr Atkinson.

Police scenes of crimes officers and fire investigators returned to the complex today to try to determine the cause of the blaze. The complex, owned by Keighley businessman Shariff Tariq, is undergoing a £15 million redevelopment to create a shopping village. Mr Tariq was unavailable for comment early today.

A fire that badly damaged part of the complex in February last year was started by arsonists.