Fire damage makes a village's hall unusable

The fire happened early on Monday morning at The Living Room, a large wooden hall next to the main village hall in Fleckney.

The fire service was called at about 5.30am.

The fire is believed to have been started deliberately in a wheelie bin that was next to the hall - possibly by people trying to keep warm.

John Beynon, who is on the management committee of the village hall, said the fire had made the building unusable.

He said The Living Room was used almost every day by groups that included a Christian group, who use it as a drop-in centre, by a guides’ unit and by a yoga group.

Mr Beynon said it was not yet clear whether the 30-year-old building, the former Fleckney Library, was repairable, or whether it would have to be demolished.

Hall managers were waiting to discuss the future of the hall with insurers.

“I don’t know how much the hall would cost to replace. but certainly tens of thousands of pounds” said Mr Beynon.

Fleckney Parish Council chair Suzanne Wyche said: “The back wall is almost not there. It’s certainly not usable at the moment. It’s quite a loss to the Fleckney community.”