House 'fully destroyed' in arson attack

Holly Lodge has been deemed too unsafe to enter

A house which police described as an "amazing property" has been destroyed in an arson attack.

Holly Lodge in Ebchester, Consett, which was empty at the time but had been home to a family for five decades, was gutted in a fire on Sunday.

Durham Constabulary is asking the public to alert them of any videos circulating on social media of the blaze at the site, which they said was "popular with urban explorers".

Officers confirmed no-one was injured in the blaze.

Police said the building had previously been home to a family for half a century

A spokesman said: "The fire has fully destroyed this amazing property which was home to a family for over 50 years."

He added the building had been deemed unsafe which "means that even the emergency services will not be able to enter the property".