A CLUBHOUSE was left wrecked after vandals set fire to it.

Fire ripped through the wooden clubhouse at Eastwood Cricket Club, in Eastwood Road North.

An investigation by fire officials and police has concluded the fire was started deliberately. Witnesses reported seeing burning newspaper stuffed into cracks in the building’s timbers.

Southend fire station commander and investigating officer Martyn Hodder said: “We are looking at this as a deliberate fire.

“It looks like the fire developed to quite a size inside the building before it was spotted from the outside.

“There is considerable damage to the changing room, which has been gutted, and the fire has also gone into the roof void and structure as well.”

Fire crews from Leigh and Hadleigh used one jet and two hose reels to tackle the blaze, which damaged about 70 per cent of the building, before it was brought under control shortly after 9pm on Monday.

Leigh fire station sub officer Paul Copeland, who attended the fire, said: “It was quite a fierce fire. When we arrived it was well alight, with lots of smoke and flames. It took about ten minutes to get it under control, and we remained at the scene for a further hour to make sure it was completely out.”

As well as being used by the cricket club, the council-owned clubhouse is also used by Leigh Ramblers Football Club and Southend Hockey Club.

Graham Fletcher, Eastwood Cricket Club’s development officer, said: “We had nets and equipment stored inside, and we don’t yet know what has survived.

”If it has been done deliberately it does seem pointless. But over the past five years there has been an increase in vandalism in that area of the park.”

Brian Burns, secretary and director of Belfairs Sport and Social Club, which runs the facilities for various clubs, said: “One corner of the building has been gutted.

“It’s awful. Unfortunately it’s one of those buildings that has been targeted three or four times over the past few years. It’s happened too often for it to be an accident.

“You could understand if it was achieving something, but it doesn’t. It just wrecks it for everyone else.”

The police investigation is ongoing. Call them on 0300 3334444 if you have any information.