Fire at Trowse Victorian pumping station thought to be deliberate

The fire service said it has ruled out accidental causes.

A fire at a Grade II listed former pumping station is thought to have been started deliberately.

On Sunday night Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) tackled a blaze at the Victorian-built sewage plant in Trowse, Norwich.

As the derelict building was unsafe to enter, specialist officers and a building surveyor used an aerial ladder to inspect the structure.

It was reported at about 21:00 GMT and was dealt with by 05:00 on Monday.

A spokeswoman said: "The evidence we have supports our finding is that the most likely cause of the fire is deliberate action, but we cannot speculate on any motive."

NFRS has shared the evidence supporting their findings with the police.

It has also made recommendations about how the building could be protected going forward.

Shortly after the blaze, Marion Catlin of the Trowse Millgate Neighbourhood Group, said members had been concerned about the derelict building for some time.

She wrote to the police and council last year and asked for the building to be cleared, secured and patrolled due to the "risk of death."

Stefan Rider, area manager for NFRS, said: "Our protection team has previously worked with the owner to protect the building from fire."

Earlier this week, The Victorian Society (VS) said it hoped fire damage to the building would not prevent it getting a new lease of life.

The pumping station, which had remained mostly empty since the city council sold it to a private company 20 years ago, is on VS's top 10 endangered buildings list of 2023.

Owner Serruys has been contacted for comment.