A church building roof may have to be torn down after it was damaged by a suspicious fire.

Firefighters tackling the rubbish fire in an alleyway next to Alexander Free Church, in Westcliff, had to use extreme caution when they discovered gas cylinders in the flames.

Appliances from Leigh and Southend attended at 2.15pm on Friday when the alleyway between Ronald Park Avenue and Tintern Avenue became full of thick black smoke.

Leading firefighter Steve Woodward said: "Propane cylinders are quite volatile - it was quite dangerous."

Published Monday, April 21, 2003

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