There has been a severe fire at Grade II listed Church of the Ascension in Salford which police believe may have been started deliberately as the church, in Lower Broughton, which had recently undergone a £250,000 restoration, was almost completely destroyed on Sunday night.
The Guardian reports that detectives have launched a criminal investigation into the blaze. Officers said they believed the culprits forced entry to the church before setting it alight then fled the scene. Shocked parishioners gathered outside the church building to survey the damage. Many were reduced to tears as they spoke of the recent restoration work and the fundraising process.
The church had raised funds and secured grants with English Heritage and the national lottery over three years for major work to be carried out. It benefited from interior and exterior renovations, new roofing and pointing.
A spokesman for the Diocese of Manchester said: ‘We are shocked and deeply saddened that the beautiful church building of the Ascension in Salford has been gutted by fire’.
Read more in The Guardian
