Construction experts were this week combing the fire-ravaged ruin of Springfield Lyons House mansion.

It was due to be the showpiece centre of Essex County Council's multi-million pound Chelmsford Business Park.

Arsonists, believed to be children, set the building alight twice on Easter Monday.

On the second occasion, the fire went through the roof of the rambling, boarded-up property, and firefighters were at the scene from 11.30 pm until well into the next day.

Now the county council and its partner, Churchmanor Estates, are awaiting the construction report to see if the mansion -- built between the 17th and 19th centuries -- is worth saving or should be demolished and replaced.

For more than 18 years, the house has been earmarked as a potential office headquarters building at the business park but, because of the cost of refurbishment, renovation was only to take place on a pre-let basis.

Churchmanor said this week that it had reached a crucial stage with a potential occupier, but completing the deal would now depend on the experts' report.

Lyons lies at the entrance to a 40-acre, 1,200-job site including a mixture of offices, research and development, warehousing and redistribution facilities.

Several new buildings have been designed, including the British headquarters for German industrial firm GEZE UK.

A county council spokeswoman said: "We cannot decide the future of Springfield Lyons House until we have had a report back from the specialists, but we understand that the damage this time is very severe."

Firefighters work amid the charred remains of the mansion.

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