FORMER CHURCH GUTTED IN FIRE

A FORMER church which was also used as a nursery has been gutted by a devastating fire.

Firefighters from across Coventry were called to the building on Station Street East, Foleshill, just after 5am yesterday.

When they arrived, the building was well alight, with flames shooting from the roof.

Crews quickly set about searching the building as initial reports had suggested people were sleeping rough inside. Thankfully, nobody was found.

But it quickly became clear that most of the roof had been destroyed and the inside gutted by the flames.

The structure has now been declared unsafe.

Emily Richards, whose house backs on to the church, raised the alarm by calling 999.

She said: “My son woke up just after 5am - I went into his room and just saw orange.

“I ran up and down the street while on the phone. The neighbours next door I got out because I was concerned about them and they just seemed to be taking ages to answer the door.

“Luckily we got them out, then the fire brigade got here quickly.

“It was hectic, it was massive. I don’t know how long it was going before I saw it. All you could hear were the tiles sliding down. The fire crews were here within three or four minutes, it was that big everything was falling off the roof.

“There was black smoke everywhere and the fire lit up the sky.”

Jaspal Sandhu said the building was also used as a nursery.

He said: “I went to that nursery about 40 years ago, my parents still live here.

“It’s such a shame. I’ve driven past so many times and it’s such a shame to see all these old buildings go.

“It’s a bit upsetting to see it. It’s an excuse for it to be flats now but I’d rather see it turned into something than nothing.”

Ali, who did not want to give his second name, has lived in the area for 32 years.

He said: “It’s [the building] been empty for around 15 to 20 years and was a church then a nursery.

“My daughter has told me that homeless people come and go from there.”

Watch Commander Gary Featherstone of Binley Fire Station said structural engineers were being called to assess the “unsafe” building.

He said: “A search has taken place as there was a possibility of rough sleepers but the building was empty.

“We’re just damping down now.

“Structural engineers are also coming at some point as the building is unsafe.”