FIREFIGHTERS believe intruders used cleaning fluids found on site to spark the latest fire to hit a prominent old building in a town centre.

The blaze was reported at the former Stanley Board School, on Front Street, Stanley, County Durham, shortly after 6.15pm on Friday (June 26).

Due to the high profile fires in the Front Street area in recent years, three crews were dispatched to attend the incident.

Entry was forced and the fire was found to have begun inside the lobby area, spreading to adjacent ground floor rooms.

It was contained to the ground floor but crews involved then sought to rid the boarded up Victorian building of the billowing smoke, which spread to upper levels of the structure.

Following evacuation of the smoke the building was left secured later in the evening.

Station manager Stephen Cummings, of Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, said there was “some real concern” when the incident was reported, given the recent history of fires affecting the town’s Front Street.

“We’ve previously had major incidents at both the top and bottom of Front Street," he said.

“When the calls came in from a number of people, there was some real concern.

“It’s been boarded up for a while and it looks like youths have probably got in and started it near the ground floor entrance, using some old cleaning products found in one of the basement rooms.”

Businessman John Lamb, who bought the building at auction last year, was dismayed to hear of the fire.

He plans to convert the building into three apartments, but has been frustrated by delays in proceeding with the project.

“I had to wait until the end of May for a bat survey to be carried out, and local youths have been getting in using it as a playground, causing damage.”

Mr Lamb plans to visit the site to inspect the damage on Monday (June 29) before deciding his next step.

Meanwhile, in a second weekend fire in Stanley, firefighters had to contend with asbestos while attending a domestic garage blaze, on Saturday (June 27) evening.

Mr Cummings said the fire broke out in a “lean to” building at the rear of a terraced property, in Park Road, South Moor.

“The landlord advised us the roof had corrugated cement boarding containing white asbestos.

“It’s a low-level risk, but we had to cordon off the immediate area and request assistance from a team from the local authority.

“Once we dampened down we handed over to them to deal with.”

Mr Cummings added that the cause appeared to be a quantity of rubbish which caught light within the garage.