Biddulph community centre badly damaged in fire

A workshop, part of the Biddulph centre itself and the community garden was damaged in the fire on Tuesday

Local residents have rallied around after a fire at a popular community centre in Staffordshire.

Biddulph Youth and Community Zone, on Church Road, said a workshop was badly damaged in the blaze early on Tuesday.

"The workshop has been burnt to the ground," Centre Manager Antony Capostagno said.

"And all the back of the community centre has been burnt, from the guttering to the roof."

The centre, which had started as a youth cafe in 2010, runs regular youth club sessions, run by volunteers.

A crowdfunding page, set-up to help repair the damage caused by fire and smoke, has already raised more than £2,500.

Mr Capostagno said he had been "blown away" by the donations, adding that some people had also donated plants for the centre's damaged community garden.

"It's just phenomenal, it's just blown us away, the compassion of the local community," he said.

"We're just all devastated and we've had an overwhelming response from the local community, who have come and helped us today.

"We can't really clean anything up today, because the insurance people need to come, but they're all waiting in the wings."