FLAMES shot 50ft into the air after a 15-year-old boy torched a derelict leisure centre, a court heard yesterday.

The heat generated when Peterlee's Low Hills Sports Centre went up in flames was so intense that it melted the visors on firefighters' helmets.

A jury at Teesside Crown Court heard that the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, set fire to the centre on May 7.

Graham Gaston, prosecuting, said the centre had been bought by a company for redevelopment and had been boarded up.

He said: "When the fire brigade arrived at the scene they could see thick black smoke coming out of the roof.

"Two officers tried to locate the source of the fire inside the centre, but they had to leave when the intense heat melted the visors on their helmets.

"At one point, fire officers describe seeing 40ft to 50ft flames coming out of the roof. It eventually took five fire engines to extinguish the flames."

The blaze caused about £30,000 worth of damage.

The boy denies a charge of arson, and claims two other youths started the fire.

A witness told the trial she saw the defendant leaving the scene with four other youngsters. She said she heard the teenager shout, 'Hey, I've lit a fire in there'.

The gang ran away, but the defendant was arrested later that evening.

The trial continues.