A STRUGGLING social club has been badly damaged by fire just weeks after being sold at auction.

Firefighters battled the blaze for more than six hours after a member of the public made an emergency call during the early hours of yesterday.

It was revealed last night that two businessmen bought the former club, which closed its doors two weeks ago, during an auction sale.

It is not known what plans they had for the site, but firefighters said about one-third of the building has been destroyed.

The blaze, being treated as suspicious, broke out at about 3am and six engines went to the scene on Broadway, Grangetown, at the junction with Greystones Road.

The single-storey building was burning fiercely, covering a 50m by 30m area of a bar and recreational area.

Station Officer Ian McHugh said: "Our crew arrived at 9am to relieve the night shift, who had been tackling the flames since 3am.

"The scene that greeted us was just a burnt-out shell. The lads did a brilliant job before we got there and managed to save the rest of the building, but I'm not sure what will happen to it now.

"It was an extremely intense fire, which took almost eight hours to make safe."

Ward Councillor Lynn Pallister said the club had changed hands several times over the years. But the community had high hopes when two unknown businessmen clinched the sale.

She added: "It's not a very good start for those who bought the site, and nobody knows what will happen to it now. I just hope it isn't left derelict to become a target for vandals, which could have been the case here."