Roof of 160-year-old church severely damaged in fire

The roof of a church more than 160 years old in Leicester has been "severely damaged" by a large fire.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said it received multiple calls to St Andrew's Church in Jarrom Street at 23:17 BST on Tuesday. At the height of the blaze, eight engines were at the scene, alongside two high-reach appliances.

On Wednesday, the service said there had been no casualties, and all people had been accounted for.

It added it was working with Cadent and Western Power to isolate gas and electricity supplies, and said several roads in the area were closed to traffic.

The fire service said its response had been scaled back, although the incident remained ongoing.

Multiple firefighters in breathing apparatus entered the building to extinguish the fire and to protect other areas of the church.

The fire service said the cause of the fire was currently unknown and added in a social media post that the blaze had sent "a smoke plume over the city".

According to the church's website, the building was constructed in 1862 and it is an Anglo-Catholic parish in the Diocese of Leicester.

Leicestershire Police said it was notified of the fire at 23:36 on Tuesday and said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

It added an examination of the scene and assessment of the structure would be carried out in due course.

The force advised those travelling into the city to avoid the area or find an alternative route.

Residents living nearby have been urged to keep their windows and doors closed.

A spokesperson for the fire service said: "We would like to take this opportunity to ask members of the public to please be careful during this ongoing heatwave with anything that could start a fire, whether in the countryside, or in urban areas.

"The warm, dry conditions mean fires can start easily and spread very quickly."

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