Legal move to preserve ex-theatre

Fire crews have removed unsafe parts of the surviving roof

The fate of Derby's Hippodrome is heading to the courts over fears the building could be demolished.

The former theatre, which has been empty for months, was undergoing urgent repairs on Friday when a large part of the roof collapsed.

Derby City Council said it was applying for an injunction to stop it being knocked down completely.

This was prompted, the authority said, by the owner's solicitor claiming it was dangerously unsafe.

The council had demanded the owner carry out work on the Grade II listed structure.

Further investigations

But the parties have disputed whether the exact nature of the repairs had been agreed.

While a mechanical digger was at the Green Lane site on Friday the roof, and subsequently a large part of an external wall, fell in.

In a statement, the council said: "We were told by the Hippodrome's owner's barrister that they had just received a report from the structural engineer they commissioned to carry out an inspection of the premises.

"The report allegedly says that the Hippodrome is an immediate danger to the public and must be demolished without delay.

"As a consequence, the council is taking immediate action to try and obtain a court injunction to prevent any further demolition. We are trying to get a hearing before a judge."

Officials also said they were investigating the exact circumstances surrounding the collapse.