A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after dozens of firefighters tackled a blaze at a former nightclub in Swindon.

More than 50 firefighters were called to the fire which has destroyed half of a Lava Lounge on Fleet Street in Swindon's town centre.

The call to emergency services was first put out at 3.44am on Thursday morning, November 7, and crews from fire stations in central Swindon, Stratton, Westlea, Royal Wootton Bassett, Cricklade, Devizes, Marlborough, Ramsbury, and Chippenham all attended.

On arrival, they found a well-developed fire within the former home of Lava Lounge, building, which closed nearby streets until around 9am that morning.

An 18-year-old man has now been arrested on suspicion of arson.

The scene of the fire, which is being treated as a suspected arson attackThe scene of the fire, which is being treated as a suspected arson attack (Image: DWFRS Stratton) The suspect, who cannot yet be named, is currently being held in custody and enquiries into the cause of the fire are ongoing.

Despite fire crews not arriving at the scene until almost 4am, officers believe that the fire may have started as early as 6pm.

"We have arrested an 18-year-old man on suspicion of arson after a fire broke out at Lava Lounge, Fleet Street, last night," said a spokesperson for Wiltshire Police.

"We would like to speak anyone who was in the area at around 6pm and saw anyone acting suspiciously.

"If you have information or CCTV footage that can assist our ongoing investigation, please call 101 quoting log number 26 of today's date."

The aftermath of the fire at former nightclub Lava LoungeThe aftermath of the fire at former nightclub Lava Lounge (Image: DWFRS Stratton) As well as more than 50 firefighters, an aerial platform ladder from central Swindon's station was also used to tackle the Lava Lounge fire, as one firefighter sprayed gallons of water onto the building's roof from a great height.

Fleet Street, Holbrook Way and Milford Street were all closed by Swindon Borough Council and the emergency services for hours as a result of the incident.

Piles of debris have been dumped in a skip and scorched entranceways were seen leading into the building which had a strong smell of burning.

A spokesperson for the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "At the height of the incident we had approximately 50 firefighters on scene working to get the fire under control.

"The utilities were isolated and 50 per cent of the building was destroyed by the fire."

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