AN old vicarage repeatedly targeted by vandals may have to be demolished.

Structural engineers are assessing the future of the derelict building following several fires there in a week.

The building which stands in Eston Cemetery, off Church Lane, Eston, east Cleveland, is understood to have only been empty six months.

An arson attack on the building at 11pm on Monday has probably sealed the property's fate.

Tony Suggitt COR), Cleveland Fire Brigade's watch manager at Grangetown station, said: "We had severe damage to the ground floor, first floor and roof space. Because of the dangerous state of the building we predominantly fought the fire from outside.

"We have been there three or four times in the last week and the stairs and floors are dangerous.

"We put a call through to the structural engineers to assess the damage."