Volunteers devastated after village hall arson in Pilning

A fire at Pilning Village Hall caused £5,000 worth of damage at the weekend, less than a year after £20,000 worth of improvements were made to it.

Pilning Village Hall, in Cross Hands Road, was left damaged after rubbish bins stored outside the hall were deliberately set on fire.

The fire happened at about 3.30pm on Sunday afternoon.

Even though the fire did not spread into the main hall the outside of building was affected, destroying a lean-to and melting plastic windows.

Ivor Humphries, chairman of the Pilning Village Hall committee, said the community had been left feeling angry about the attack because it had worked hard to raise the money needed for the refurbishment.

Last year the village hall committee was able to replace the central heating and refurbish the ladies' toilets.

Mr Humphries said: "This is very frustrating and we are very disappointed that it has happened.

"We have only just had the hall done up. We've spent around £20,000 on it and now this has happened."

Members of the Pilning Village Hall committee spent the rest of Sunday clearing up some of the damage and returned the hall to a usable state.

Regular users of Pilning Village Hall include a pre-school, Pilning and Severn Beach Parish Council and the Village Players, a local amateur dramatics group.

A spokesman for Avon Fire and Rescue Service said: "At 3.37pm two appliances from Avonmouth attended a deliberate rubbish fire which affected the outside of the building.

"We used one high pressure hose reel to control the blaze. The police were notified."

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: "At 3.30pm on Sunday we were alerted to a Pilning Village Hall where a number of bins had been set on fire and it would seem deliberately. We are very keen to speak to any witnesses to what happened."

Anyone with any information about the fire or who may have seen something should call Avon and Somerset Police on 0845 456 7000 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.