A DERELICT Teesside pub is close to collapse after arsonists struck for the fifth time in a matter of weeks.

Fire crews were called to tackle a blaze at the Queens Head in Haverton Hill, Billingham, shortly after 4am yesterday and it took two hours to bring it under control.

It is the fifth time since mid-January that the two-storey property, on Clarence Street, has been set alight, and the latest damage has left it close to ruin.

The arson attack is just the latest in the area, which has suffered more than a dozen such incidents this year.

Yesterday morning's fire caused damage to the ground and second floor, and a police spokesman said: "The building is now in a possible state of collapse."

She added: "Police are aware that there have been several malicious fires started in the area.

"Officers are meeting with colleagues from the fire service to discuss what action should be taken with regard to the recent incidents."

The old pub was hit with a string of fires while it was open, and the attacks have intensified since its closure.

Billingham Fire Station crew manager Colin Ede recently called for action to make the pub secure, saying that with every fire, the risks for firefighters dealing with the blaze increase.

However, with the current ownership of the disused pub unclear, the fate of the site also remains murky - but it could now be demolished.

Councillor Ray McCall, who represents the affected area and is on the Cleveland Fire Authority, said that the vandalism was "unacceptable and intolerable".

He said: "There's always been the problem there with arson or vandalism, but I don't know what they get out of it. Thank God the vandalism in this case was well away from any residents, so nobody got hurt from all of this."

Anybody with information on the arson attack on the pub, or a similar attack on a neighbouring former garage, is asked to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.