Blaze could close cricket club
COMMITTEE bosses say a blaze at their building could spell the end for a well-known cricket club.
Police and fire chiefs launched a probe into the cause of a fire at Peterlee Cricket Club, which broke out in the early hours of yesterday morning and caused extensive damage to the single-storey building.
As he checked out the damage at the club's Helford Road base, secretary Andrew Watson admitted the future looked bleak as the venue was only covered by contents insurance.
"It'll finish the club, it's that bad," he said.
"I wouldn't like to say how much the damage will cost to put right.
"At least two televisions were melted. All the stock looks okay but one wall is completely destroyed. To me it looks as though it needs knocking down."
Andrew, a 43-year-old father-of-two who lives in Helford Road, added: "The first I heard was about 1am yesterday when my son woke me up to say a fire engine was going past.
"By the time I went over, it was being put out.
"It looks as though it started against one of the outside walls."
Andrew, a company director, said the club, which has 260 members, has been running for more than 30 years.
"It's terrible. We don't know whether the council will rebuild it or knock it down. It's too early to tell."
The club's actual cricket team will not be affected by the fire as they use the changing rooms and pitch at The Pavilion.
But any social activities run by the club take place in the building which has been gutted, and loss of income from those events will hit the club hard.
Andrew added: "We have a lot of visitors to the annual Peterlee Show, which takes place next month, it's our best day of the year but people will go elsewhere now."
Roy Simpson, the club's cricket secretary, said: "The effect on the actual playing of cricket is minimal, but it is no recompense for the volunteers' time and effort which has gone into the club over the past 30 years."
A Peterlee Town Council spokesman said: "We have arranged a meeting with Councillor Bill Jeffrey, the leader of the council, and architects regarding this.
"We need the architects to ascertain the damage and the town council intends to assist in every way we can."
The Mail reported yesterday that two crews from Peterlee Fire Station spent just over an hour putting out the blaze.
The club suffered significant damage to its fascias and guttering, as well as internal furniture.
Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident and anyone with information is asked to call Durham Police on 0345 6060365 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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Weather for Peterlee
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -5 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -0 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South west
