Arson probe at Victorian church

FIRE which swept through part of Bexhill's largest church has left its ageing and tiny congregation worrying about its future.

A blaze which is believed to have started in the library in the north west corner of St Barnabas' Church brought fire crews from Bexhill, Hastings, Pevensey and Battle racing to the scene on Monday afternoon.

The fire gutted the library and severely damaged part of the roof. Fire experts from East Sussex Fire and Rescue and Sussex Police began an investigation into the cause on Tuesday.

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Detective Inspector Mark Ling, head of Bexhill and Rother CID, said: "We don't know what caused the fire at the moment so a standard investigation is under way. With large fires such as this to be on the safe side we treat it as a crime scene."

Firefighters who fought their way into the heavily smoke-logged church wearing breathing apparatus believed they had quenched the fire with minutes of arrival.

But their hopes were dashed when they realised that the flames had already spread high up into the timbered roof some 30 metres about their heads. They were forced to withdraw.

It was not until the hydraulic arm of an aerial ladder platform from Hastings reached up to the roof ridge and its powerful monitor blew tiles off that sufficient weight of water could be brought onto the blaze to bring the fire under control.

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A bystander told the Observer: "I was walking past at about three. There was just a little cloud of smoke coming from a window by the church door. One of two people were looking. Someone had already phoned the fire brigade. Then suddenly there were big flames at an upper window.

"It was all very quick."

Police taped off the area for safety reasons as a large and sorrowing crowd gathered as one of the town centre's best-known landmarks suffered its worst ordeal since war-time bombing destroyed the original Vicarage.

In all, six fire appliances plus the aerial ladder platform were at the scene under Divisional Officer Dave Owen.

At the scene, Bexhill-based Sub Officer John Owen (no relation) said: "We were the first pump in attendance to get here.

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"On arrival, the fire was well alight in the bottom corner of the church.

"The church was open but empty."

Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus got into the library and attacked the fire with a hose reel and extinguished the immediate fire."

Sub Officer Owen said: "We very quickly got it knocked down. But it had spread into the roof space and there is no means of access. You cannot physically get up there."

From Bizzy Fingerz cafe and art shop on the opposing corner, owner Anna Champ, her daughter Katie and mother, Doris Moskalik watched in horror as the drama unfolded.

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Katie said: "I suddenly realised that the windows were shattered and there was smoke coming out."

Doris said: "There was a lot of smoke when we looked up. It was coming from the roof."

Churchwarden John Hastwill watched helplessly as the fire developed. He said : "It's a very sad day for St Barnabas'."

The Vicar, the Rev Colin Pritchard, was out of town when the alarm was raised shortly after 3pm.

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Churches throughout the town immediately offered their support. The Rector of St Peter's, Canon Dr Edward Bryant told the Observer: "We will do everything we can to help of course."

The Rev David Frost, Vicar of St Stephen's and Rural Dean of Bexhill and Battle, was an early visitor at the scene and stayed throughout the firefighters' battle.

He told the Observer: "It's a tragedy."

St Barnabas' Church was the first major Anglican church-building project attempted as modern Bexhill mushroomed towards the end of the 19th Century.

The Rector of St Peter's, Canon Stanley Clarke, recognised the need for a church to serve the new town developing below the parish church.

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He offered 6,000 towards the cost of its construction. The foundation stone was laid by Mrs Clarke in July 1890 and the independent parish of St Barnabas came into being on June 26, 1891. The church was consecrated on July 15, 1891.