Arson suspected after former golf club destroyed

At its height, about 40 firefighters tackled the blaze at the former Dudsbury Golf Club building

Police and fire service investigators suspect a large fire at a former golf club building was started deliberately.

The derelict Dudsbury Golf Club building in Christchurch Road near Ferndown was destroyed on Friday evening.

Dorset Police said after making initial inquiries with the fire service "the current assessment is that this fire was not started accidentally".

The force urged witnesses to come forward and nearby residents with doorbell or CCTV cameras and motorists with dashcams to check their footage. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.

A joint police and fire service investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing

The blaze was put out late on Saturday night.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue said it still expected to revisit the site on a regular basis "for the next few days" as a precaution due to hotspots within the debris.

At its height, about 40 firefighters tackled the blaze.

The fire service said crews found the structure "well alight" on Friday evening with residents advised to keep doors and windows closed.

The blaze in Christchurch Road, Longham, sent a plume of smoke across the surrounding area