Fire sweeps through cricket club

An investigation into how the fire started is under way

A Shropshire cricket club has suffered severe damage in a fire which caused part of the roof to collapse.

Emergency crews were sent to tackle the blaze at Norton in Hales, near Market Drayton, at about 1745 GMT on Monday.

Ambulance crews attended after fears there could have been people inside the building, but no one was found.

The clubhouse may now have to be demolished if it is found that the fire caused major structural damage, junior section coach Martin Rowley said.

'Club could fold'

He added the future of the club could be under threat if the building could not be salvaged.

"The worst case scenario is we just can't continue," he said.

"It's very difficult at the moment for junior cricket clubs to survive. Quite a few have gone to the wall over the last few years.

"If it's too difficult to rebuild then we would have to think about folding completely, but hopefully that won't be the case."

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "The building had suffered substantial damage and part of the roof had collapsed."

The cause of the fire is being investigated, but it is not thought to be suspicious.