Boy, 14, arrested over fire that destroyed library

5 hours ago

Federica BedendoNorth East and Cumbria

News image — The fire gutted the former library in Billingham

BBC A red and white fire and rescue service tape cordons off the area around the former Billingham library building, which has been gutted by fire. The building has no roof. The side of the building facing the camera would have had a metal structure or cladding, but it is charred by the fire and partly destroyed. The cordon tape is set around a birch tree on a grassed area outside the building. — The fire gutted the former library in Billingham

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire destroyed a former library.

Crews from Cleveland fire service were called to Billingham's old library, at the back of Billingham Health Centre, in Queensway, on Tuesday at about 18:20 BST.

A spokesperson for the service said everyone was accounted for but the derelict building had sustained "100% damage".

Cleveland Police said a boy had been taken into custody and emergency services remained at the site carrying out investigations.

Eight fire engines from seven stations attended the scene.

Images from Tuesday showed the building well alight while fire crews worked to extinguish the flames.

In the aftermath, images show a building ravaged by the flames, with charred debris inside the property.

Supplied An orange inferno blaze lights up a building in Billingham in Stockton-on-Tees. There is a large fire in a building on a road which has two traffic lights. — The building was alight on Tuesday evening

On Wednesday afternoon, Cleveland Police said the surrounding roads had reopened.

Insp Barnes said the fire had caused "significant disruption" for "the public, shops and businesses in the area" and asked anyone with information to come forward.