Firefighters tackle shed blaze in church grounds

Plumes of smoke from the fire, as seen from the Tame Valley Canal

Firefighters have tackled a large blaze that broke out in a shed in the grounds of a Walsall church.

The fire caused some external damage to the church and another nearby property, West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) said after crews arrived shortly before 14:30 GMT.

The vacant wooden building had been destroyed.

WMFAS said the fire at the church site in Birchills Street was accidental, and crews left the scene at 17:18 GMT.

A spokesperson for the fire service said several stained glass windows at the church had been damaged, and there was also heat damage to the roof and fascia of the building.

A nearby property also sustained heat damage to its roof fascia, but neither building was affected by the fire inside, they stated.