VANDALS set fire to a day centre for disabled people in Hartlepool, after crashing a car into it, the night before their Christmas party.

Staff arrived at Havelock Day Service, in Burbank Street, yesterday morning to find a burnt-out car embedded in the back of the building and a woodworking room destroyed.

Firefighters were called out at 4am after the car was reversed into the centre and set alight.

Centre project manager Gary Laville said the feeling at the centre was one of devastation.

"The worst is that today was the Christmas party. We expected 110 people and clearly 110 people are going to be very upset and disappointed that a part of the building has been decimated. It is a double blow really. We are gutted."

The council-run service is used each day by more than 60 people with physical disabilities of all kinds.

The woodwork room, where Christmas gifts have been lovingly crafted in the past few weeks, is used for rehabilitation and development of skills.

"You can't even go in it now," said Mr Laville. "The water and smoke damage is extremely bad. One of the service users just said 'a full year's work has been lost'.

"Our people here make all sorts of craft stuff for themselves and a lot of it was for Christmas presents. It has all gone up in smoke."

But he said staff and service users at the centre were still determined to drum up a little seasonal spirit.

"We have not cancelled the party, but obviously it won't be as festive as it should be. The atmosphere is extremely down. People are shocked it has happened so close to Christmas. The callousness of it is really unbelievable."

Sub-officer Steve Harll, from Stranton fire station, said he believed the fire had been started deliberately. "It's quite sad that they chose this building. I'm fairly sure they must have been aware what it's used for."

A spokesman for Hartlepool Borough Council said the rest of the centre was undamaged and operating as normal.

A joint police and fire arson reduction team is investigating the blaze