Willington's former Miners' Welfare Club destroyed by fire

Seven crews tackled the blaze at the disused building

Two teenagers have been arrested after a building that once served as the community hub of a former mining village was destroyed in a fire.

The blaze broke out at the derelict Miners' Welfare Club in Willington, near Crook, County Durham, on Tuesday.

Seven crews from across the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service went to the scene.

A boy and a girl have been arrested on suspicion of arson and remain in custody, Durham Police said.

It is not yet known how the fire, close to Spectrum Leisure Centre, started on Tuesday at 17:30 BST. No-one was injured.

The area will be assessed for damage.

The old miners' welfare club was once a hub of community activity

"The site has been secured with fencing and the local authority has taken responsibility of the site," a fire and rescue spokesperson said.

The building, in Hunwick Lane, was built in about 1920 and was aimed at providing recreational facilities for the mining community.

Resident Patricia Greensmith said the loss was "heart-breaking".

The fire ripped through the building on Tuesday at about 17:30 BST

"[It] feels like a big part of our lives has just died," she said.

"For my generation this place was our youth, [we] spent most nights and a lot of afternoons in here."

"I was a bridesmaid here twice and I've spent the last 15 years looking at it out of my window as a boarded up ruin and spent a lot of years trying to get it brought back to life."