Police issue Clarendon Leisure Centre update as fire 'treated as suspicious'

Detectives investigating investigating a fire which destroyed Clarendon Leisure Centre in Salford are treating the blaze as 'suspicious'

Emergency services were called to the fire at the Liverpool Street building just before 2.45am on Friday. No injuries were reported and no arrests have been made at this time.

At the height of the blaze, eight fire engines from across the city-region were mobilised to the scene, plus specialist appliances. Today JCBs were pictured at the site with images showing the twisted and scorched metal frame of the building.

READ MORE: Northern Lights 'red alert' issued and the best time to see them in Greater Manchester tonight

Discussions between Salford City Council and Salford Community Leisure, which runs the centre, will consider options for the future, including a rebuild. The centre had been previously earmarked for possible closure - to be replaced by one of several new centres planned for the city. But those plans were shelved in recent years as the economy dipped.

In an update on Saturday, Greater Manchester Police said: "Investigators are establishing the exact cause of the fire and work is ongoing to piece together the timeline of events. The incident is currently being treated as suspicious, and officers are keen for anyone with any information that could help the investigation to come forward."

Detective Sergeant Karl Perry, from GMP’s Salford district, said: “Incidents such as the one we saw on Friday morning can be both upsetting and shocking – but I want local people to know that we are utilising all lines of enquiry as we look to discover what triggered this awful fire.

“Thankfully, no-one was hurt, but I appreciate that many people will be upset at the loss of this