Police have launched an arson investigation after a fire ripped through the St Giles Youth Centre in Lincoln last night.
No arrests have yet been made. Officers are appealing for anyone with information or who saw any suspicious activity to call 101.
No arrests have yet been made. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Firefighters are continuing to extinguish after the blaze entirely destroyed the building at Swift Gardens.
A view from the ALP of the aftermath of the Swift Gardens fire. Just a few hot spots remaining. pic.twitter.com/KdLuan7g1k
— Gainsborough Fire (@GainsboroughFRS) September 3, 2016
The extent of the overnight devastation was revealed at daybreak on Saturday, September 3 when fire crews pictured the aftermath from above.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Emergency services received calls that the building was ablaze at around 10.30pm on Friday, September 2.
Firefighters were damping down long into the early hours of the morning, with hot spots still remaining in the building at 7am.
Five pumps and an aerial platform were used to extinguish the blaze and damage was caused to 100% of the building.
No injuries have been reported.
“So much has been lost”
Members of the local community have expressed their sadness at the loss.
Mark Higson said local football teams have lost their equipment:
“All of our team’s (Lincoln Est) football equipment is gone, the kids well be gutted!
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
“The whole team’s parents, committee members, and members of the community have worked so hard to get this team established and continue running and it could be all gone in one night.”
By 11.30pm the building had collapsed and surrounding trees had begun to catch alight. Photo: Zoe Clarke
Laura Lutton said her dramatics group who used the facility had hundreds of pounds of equipment there: “The local amateur dramatics group I run voluntarily for children also had hundreds of pounds of equipment stored in one of the cupboards there and it was our first rehearsal space for our first ever pantomime.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
“I’m just glad nobody was hurt! If this was arson (apparently someone tried to set it alight last night and didn’t succeed) then they have ruined an amazing place for the local children and youth to go.”
Kyle Davey said: “This saddens me. I used to work round the corner from there with young people helping to reduce offending in the area. Such a shame!”