Fire at 'heart of community' church shocks town

Six crews were called to Broad Street in Harleston on Wednesday and a safety cordon was put in place

A town has been left in shock after the "heart of its community" was damaged by fire.

Crews were called to St John the Baptist Church in Harleston, Norfolk, on Wednesday afternoon.

Stefan Rider, from the Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, said an investigation into the fire had begun, but there was significant internal damage.

The Archdeacon of Norfolk, the Venerable Steven Betts, said: "It is a great shock for everybody. The church has been here for ages and ages — it's kind of like a sign of God's presence in the community."

Fire crews said they managed to save a lot of the structure - and the roof remained intact.

Jade Huggins saw the fire on Wednesday night and told the BBC she was really saddened by the incident

Jade Huggins said she was parked behind a fire engine when she went to collect her prescription and noticed smoke.

But by the time she returned, the church was on fire.

"The whole of the church — you couldn't see it through the cloud of smoke," she said.

"It's a historical building. It was really sad. It went from a little bit of smoke to blowing out one of the windows really quickly.

"I could definitely taste it, and I could smell it in my hair when I got home.

"[The church] does a lot of good things for a lot of people."

Archdeacon of Norfolk, the Venerable Steven Betts, said the fire had been a great shock to everyone who used the church

"So much happens in that building, not just services on a Sunday, but also community activity," he said. Food banks, coffee mornings and community meet-ups would all take part at St John's.

He said the building was "right in the heart of this community" which is why it was "so upsetting for people".

"The intention is to look at the damage and see what can be done and bring this building back into use."

Helen Orford, Benefice administrator, said she went straight to the church when she heard about the fire

St John the Baptist Church, which dates from the 1870s, is one of the seven churches that make up the collective Benefice of Redenhall with Scole across the Waveney Valley.

Benefice administrator, Helen Orford, said she went straight to the church after getting a phone call about the fire while she was at the dentist's.

"The town just came out and watched - there was nothing we could do," she said.

"It's not just a church, it is used by the whole community - even people who aren't religious. It is just a hub for the whole community to use.

"But hopefully it will be all sorted and it will be back and running at some point."