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A day centre for elderly people has been destroyed in a huge fire on Wednesday evening.

Minehead Resource Centre, near Princess Parkway, in Withington, caught light around 9pm, with the building quickly engulfed in flames.

The roof of the building has since collapsed along with several walls.

The building on Dermot Murphy Close in the Old Moat area is understood to be used as a social club by elderly people living in the area for day activities.

Firefighters raced to the scene just before 9pm when the fire was first reported.

But within an hour the building was engulfed in flames and largely destroyed.

No-one is believed to have been inside the building when the fire started and there are no injuries reported.

Homes near the fire are not currently being evacuated but PCSOs are currently going door-to-door in the area asking people to keep doors and windows shut.

Attempts to stop the fire spreading were hampered by strong winds which fanned flames across the building.

Four fire pumps and 30 firefighters from stations across Manchester are currently at the scene along with an aerial appliance.

Speaking on Wednesday night Station Manager Geoff Thornley, who is in charge of the incident, said: “We have a number of fire engines including an aerial platform at the scene of the fire.

“We are working very hard to get the blaze under control in challenging conditions and expect to be here most of the night.

“The fire is in the middle of a residential area and we asking people who live nearby to stay indoors away from the smoke and to keep their doors and windows shut.”

Rebecca Sanderson, who lives nearby, said: “I saw smoke around 10pm and since then the fire has been absolutely blazing.

“They have got the crane up but it doesn’t look as if it is coming under control although I’m sure the firefighters are trying.

“It just looks like the wind is fanning the flames. My boyfriend’s grandma lives opposite and they go over there in the daytime to do activities and especially at Christmas.

“It looks totally destroyed - it’s very sad.”

Counting the cost of the blaze

The damage to the Minehead Resource Centre has been estimated at ‘hundreds of thousands’ of pounds.

The centre, owned by Manchester City Council, is used to provide services for adults with learning difficulties and mental health issues.

The NHS also provides healthcare services at the building while it is also in use by the local community for social events and meetings.

But tonight that has all gone up in smoke as the building looks to have been totally destroyed by fire.

It contained computers which were free for the community to use, healthcare equipment and leisure facilities like snooker tables.

All look to have been lost in the fire which ripped through the building, first bringing down its roof and then some of its walls.

The centre was originally built in the late 1980s as an older people’s resource centre but its use had expanded to include other services in recent years.

Staff from the former Phoenix Centre at North Manchester General, run by Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust which works with older people with mental health services, had also relocated there.

Jeff Smith, councillor for Withington and executive member for housing and regeneration who lives nearby, witnessed the blaze.

He said: “There’s a lot of acrid smoke and from speaking to the police and fire service there it looks like the building is pretty much destroyed.

“I would think the damage will be in the hundreds of thousands of pounds.

“It’s fairly devastating for the community who worked to get this centre for a long time.

“It’s all gone up in smoke and will take a long time to put right.”