PHOTOGRAPHS show the damage caused to an empty shop by fire - leaving a town centre road closed and forcing nearby businesses to stay shut today.

The blaze at the rear of the former Beautiful Homes store, on Kingsway, Bishop Auckland, was reported to emergency services just after 9pm last night.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service had extinguished the fire by 1am this morning and handed the incident to Durham police to investigate the cause of the fire.

The force has since confirmed it is being treated as a potential arson.

Photographs from the scene today show the extent of the damage - with parts of the internal structure falling down and reduced to ash and holes in the boarded-up windows.

The Northern Echo:

The Northern Echo:

The Northern Echo:

The pavement in front of the property is fenced off and debris lies on the street.

It also appears that the roof of the adjacent disused CEF building was damaged.

The Northern Echo:

The Northern Echo:

The Northern Echo:

The road at the back of the property is still closed to traffic, between the A689 South Church Road and Durham Chare.

And several businesses in the Cafe and Retail CIC mall, formerly known as In Shops, are closed today following the incident.

Read more: Police release update after fire rips through empty Bishop Auckland building

The Northern Echo:

The Northern Echo:

The Northern Echo:

The Northern Echo:

 

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