Church hall destroyed in blaze

A Black Country church hall used by thousands of people every year was today destroyed in an arson attack.

The blaze was started in the early hours in a wooden storage shed and quickly spread to two more buildings that make up the church hall complex at Warley Baptist Church in Oldbury.

Firefighters were called at 2.30am and managed to tackle the flames before they spread to the main church building in Castle Road East.

Shocked church leaders were called to the site this morning and have been forced to cancel a range of community events. They also expect a huge repair bill.

The wooden shed where the fire started was completely destroyed along with equipment stored inside, including items owned by the local Boys Brigade.

A wooden classroom used for Sunday school classes was also destroyed. Church treasurer Jean Green said: "It is a real shock to see it. It's very sad really."