Former Newbury Football Club Faraday Road site destroyed by fire

Crews from Berkshire and Hampshire tackled the fire at the Faraday Road site

A disused football ground has been destroyed in a fire.

Firefighters from Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, along with crews from Hampshire, were called to the site in Faraday Road, Newbury, shortly after 01:00 BST.

It was home to non-league Newbury FC before the club was evicted from the council-owned facility in 2018 in a row over the site's redevelopment.

West Berkshire Council urged people to stay away for safety reasons.

"We're aware of last night's fire at the former Newbury Football Club and have made immediate arrangements to secure the site," it added.

Six pumps were used to fight the fire, with water drawn from a nearby river.

The 2,500-capacity facility and pitch has not been used for three years, when it was used by Newbury FC and youth football groups.

The disused football ground buildings were completely destroyed in the fire

A decision on whether to demolish the buildings and turn the area into recreational space was deferred at a council planning meeting last month.

There are plans for a new ground to be built near Newbury Rugby Club in Monks Lane.

Opposition councillors have called for the Faraday Road ground to be retained for football use.

Football had been played on the site for more than a century.

Faraday Road was previously home to Newbury Town FC, which folded in 1995