POLICE are investigating a fire which destroyed part of a community centre early yesterday.
Firefighters were called to the Stanley Community Centre, in Tyne Road, Stanley, County Durham, at about 2am when a blaze broke out.
Sergeant Eddie Bell, of Consett police, said: "The seat of the fire was in the art room, which was completely destroyed, including the roof.
"There was some fire damage to an adjacent room, and an outside storage shed was also destroyed.
"Because there were two skylights in the art room, the fire was vented upward, otherwise it would have spread right through the roof space, causing more extensive damage."
Srg Bell said forensic officers had inspected the premises during the morning.
He said no accelerants were found and there were no signs of forced entry.
In another incident, people had to evacuate the Deckham Community Centre, on Split Crow Road, Gateshead, when flames spread to the building from a burning car at 7pm on Thursday.
About a half of the centre's roof was destroyed.
The car - a Ford Escort saloon, which had been stolen from Carr Hill Road the previous afternoon - was set alight after being abandoned behind the centre
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