Demolition work begins after blaze at old Walsall leisure centre

Fifteen fire crews were called out to the blaze at Oak Park Leisure Centre in Walsall Wood.

Firefighters attended the scene at around 5.17pm on Tuesday. Investigations into the cause are ongoing.

Despite fears that someone may have been inside, no-one was discovered, and the fire was largely contained to the reception area.

The centre closed last year when the new £12 million Oak Park Active Living Centre opened across the road.

The old site was scheduled for demolition and tenders were due to be issued early next week, according to Walsall Council. The work will now be undertaken 'over the course of the next few weeks'.

Wednesbury-based contractor NCP Humphries Demolition was called in to start work following the fire.

Staff began tearing up the entrance and roof yesterday. Workers at the site had only recently finished clearing the building of asbestos and preparing for it to be knocked down.

Tweeting from the scene during the height of the blaze, West Midlands Fire Service station commander Andy Smith said they needed the large number of crews to provide sufficient breathing apparatus.

He added: "Good progress now being made with a simultaneous attack from above and below fire. A challenging incident due to complex building construction."

A crew from Aldridge remained at the scene yesterday morning, and continued to revisit throughout the day to ensure the fire was fully extinguished.

The challenge posed by the building's design was reiterated by Aldridge watch commander Dave Hartland, who said: "It's been difficult to tackle because of layers in the roof. We need to remove it to check for any hotspots.

"There has been damage to approximately 12 per cent of the building. There is no longer asbestos or chemicals."

The fire blocked the A461 Lichfield Road between Brook Lane and Brownhills Road, causing delays for drivers.

June Johnson works as a sales assistant at the KFC opposite the leisure centre. The 54-year-old said: "It was around 5pm when one fire engine turned up, and then there were loads of them. It was mad.

"The car park was full of them and full of smoke. Fortunately we only had one couple in at the time. I spoke to a fireman and he told me that some people had broken in and set fire to a fuse box.

"We've seen a group of youngsters hanging around before and they set fire to some of the big bins a few months ago."

A woman parking up to walk her dog yesterday morning said: "It's awful. I used to come here a lot when I was a child."

Another resident described the 'awful smell' from the fire, while another said: "The flames were really bad coming out of the old entrance doors."

Stephen Hill, 35, had peered through damaged wooden boards into the leisure centre site just hours before the fire.

He said some gym equipment remained in the building and a blue sheet lined the bottom of one of the leisure centre's swimming pools.

Mr Hill, of Peake Road, said: "One of the boards that was boarding up the window had been smashed through.

"It was a shame. I understand that things upgrade and things get better and we have got a fantastic new Oak Park but you can't not have a sense of loss."

Councillor Julie Fitzpatrick, portfolio holder for community, leisure and culture, said: "Firstly, I would like to thank West Midlands Fire Service and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service for their prompt and professional assistance in dealing with the fire.

"On the advice of the fire service, work has now commenced to strip the roof completely and this will be followed by the demolition of the building. We expect this work to be completed over the course of the next few weeks."

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said the force was waiting for confirmation from the fire service as to whether the cause of the blaze was arson before starting its own investigation.