Darlaston football club stand wrecked in arson attack
The main stand at Darlaston Town Football Club's old ground was set alight in a suspected arson attack, prompting a police investigation.
Fire crews were called to the derelict City Ground on Waverley Road after receiving reports that part of the stand was on fire.
They found a 20sqm section of the wooden stand ablaze in what has been described as 'a severe fire'.
The heat from the flames is said to have damaged window frames to properties in nearby Slater Street.
Fifteen firefighters took around an hour-and-a-half to put out the fire and secure the area. A number of wooden seats that had been damaged were removed from the stand.
West Midlands Fire Service spokesman Matthew Smith said: "We received reports of a serious fire at the former Darlaston Town football ground.
"It was a severe fire, damaging around 20sqm of a wooden stand. Fire crews from Willenhall, Bilston and Tipton attended the scene and tackled the fire using hose reel jets.
"They also used a thermal imaging camera to check for hotspots and make sure the area was secure.
"We believe the fire was started deliberately." No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
Police are treating the fire as arson. They have asked for anyone with information to call 101.
Meanwhile a councillor has called for the future of the land to be sorted out 'sooner rather than later' in a bid to prefer further incidents.
Councillor Keith Chambers, who represents Bentley and Darlaston North on Walsall Council, said: "The ground is going to wrack and ruin. It's been in a state for too long now and this isn't the first time it has been subjected to some form of vandalism.
"The future of the land needs to be sorted out as a matter of urgency to stop this sort of thing from happening again.
"It has potential for development and I'd like to see what, if anything, is in the pipeline."
Darlaston Town played at the ground until the club folded in 2013. Although a 'phoenix' club with the same name was subsequently formed, Walsall Council took over ownership of the City Ground and boarded it up.
Last year an application to register it as an Asset of Community Value was approved, meaning that if the council decides to sell the ground the club have first option on buying it.
The fire happened at around 6pm on Wednesday.
