Arsonists have destroyed a community centre after weeks of vandalism and minor fires at the once popular village facility.

Flames tore through the Rides Community Centre in Gorse Ride North on Tuesday night, making the building too dangerous for firefighters to enter as they battled the blaze outside.

The building, which was built 26 years ago with help from villagers' own cash, was engulfed in flames which reached 20ft above the roof.

Station manager Eddie Cardoso from Wokingham Fire Station said: “It was not safe for firefighters to get in the building.

“The roof had collapsed inwards and our main concern was the safety of our firefighters.”

He said police are investigating the incident and it is being treated as arson.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing an explosion and many came out of their homes to see what was happening when the fire began at around 9.30pm.

The area was still cordoned off on Wednesday morning.

The community centre has been closed for nearly a year and has been heavily targeted by vandals, who have set bin fires and attempted to set the roof alight before.

Police have received numerous complaints about increased anti-social behaviour at the facility since it closed.

Finchampstead Baptist Church has planning permission to demolish the centre and replace it with a multi-million pound facility with a library, café, meeting rooms and sports hall.

Last week, the church discovered it had been awarded a £400,000 Lottery grant to complete the funding needed for the build to go ahead.

Station manager Cardoso said Wokingham Borough Council was considering pulling the building down for safety reasons.

The area is being treated as a crime scene and has been cordoned off by Thames Valley Police.

For the full story and further photographs, see next Wednesday's Wokingham Times in local newsagents costing 40p.

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