A BLAZE in an east Durham former nursing home is being treated as arson it was revealed yesterday.
Scenes of crime officers confirmed that the fire, which badly damaged the Craig Ellachie complex, in Thorpe Road, Easington Village, on Tuesday, is believed to have been started deliberately in one of the bedrooms.
A spokesman at Aykley Head police headquarters appealed to anyone who may have seen two youths, aged about 17, leaving the scene shortly before the fire was reported, to come forward.
The building, which has been empty and semi-derelict for a number of years, had become "a magnet to local youths and drug users'', said the spokesman.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Peterlee CID on 0845 60 60 365.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article