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Town centre building fire being treated as arson

Martin Heath
BBC News, Northamptonshire
Peter Cooper/BBC A two-storey house rendered in white. There is a Georgian door with decorative pillars either side and a pediment above. Some of the glass from the windows is missing, and there is a clear scorch mark above a ground floor window. Part of the grey roof is missing. The wall has come down on the right of the building, leaving the inside visible. There is a pile of rubble in front of the house, with metal fencing installed in front of it.Peter Cooper/BBC
Seven weeks after the fire, the building is still fenced off and the street is full of rubble

A town centre fire that broke out seven weeks ago is now being treated as arson, police say.

The blaze in a disused building started in the early hours of 30 March in Sheep Street, Northampton.

Nine fire crews were called to the site to tackle the flames and nearby roads were closed.

West Northamptonshire Council said it was discussing the demolition of the building with the owner.

Kris Holland/BBC Two red and white fire engines at right angles to each other. They are parked in front of a two-storey white building that shows signs of fire. There is rubble in the street outside the houses. There are yellow barriers across the front of the fire engine on the right.Kris Holland/BBC
Nine fire crews tackled the blaze on 30 March

The fire-hit building, at the junction of Sheep Street and Church Lane, was occupied by an ex-servicemen's club but has been empty for a few years.

The emergency services were called at 05:50 BST on March 30.

People living nearby were told to keep their windows and doors shut because the fire had generated a large plume of smoke.

Some nearby properties lost power while the incident was dealt with.

Seven weeks later, the police have told the BBC the investigation is ongoing and the fire is being treated as arson.

Peter Cooper/BBC Two white two-storey houses next to each other. Part of the roof is missing. Some of the windows are broken or boarded up. Both houses have medium-sized windows made up of 12 squares. There are scorch marks above one of the windows. The small red Ex-servicemen's Club sign is still visible over the Georgian doorway.Peter Cooper/BBC
Both Kerr House (left) and the old ex-servicemen's club remain fenced off following the fire

Thomas Manning, West Northamptonshire Council's cabinet member for planning and communities, said: "We have had discussions with the building's owner to inform them of what the actions they need to take regarding the demolition of the building.

"We've been assured that they are now working through those actions."

The BBC is attempting to contact the building's owners.

Peter Cooper/BBC Two two-storey white houses side by side. There is a gap in the front facade in which the base of an upper floor can be seen. There is a large pile of rubble including bricks in front of the gap, spilling onto the pavement. The building is fenced off.Peter Cooper/BBC
Rubble remains in the street seven weeks after the fire and graffiti has appeared on some of the windows

The building dates from the 18th Century and was once the home of William Kerr, who founded Northampton General Hospital.

The adjacent property, Kerr House, was given to the Corporation of Northampton in 1683, which leased it to tenants.

It was described in 1828 as "a mansion-house, garden, stables, coach house and pleasure-ground".

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