A fire has broken out at a historic church in central Leicester, sending smoke billowing out over the city.
Footage circulating social media overnight shows smoke pouring out of the side of St Andrew’s Church, which sits on the corner of Jarrom Street and Gateway Street.
In one video shared on Snapchat, plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the church’s north transept, with multiple fire engines and police cars outside.
Later footage on Facebook showed that the church’s roof was partially destroyed by the fire – believed to have started at around 1am.
That video showed a turntable ladder pouring water onto the church from above, while flames could be seen licking at the inside of the roof.
Further images shared online show plumes of smoke creeping out into the night sky.
Locals have so far been urged to shut their doors and windows, but on social media some have complained of the smell of smoke and even burning plastic.
One Reddit user said they could “smell and see it from my flat on other side of the city centre”, with another adding it was “stinking out” the city centre.
Later footage on Facebook showed that the church’s roof was partially destroyed by the fire
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“Oh no that’s downright sad… A church of all things to go up in flames,” another said.
GB News has approached Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service for more information.
So far, the service has only said there is an “incident on Jarrom Street… sending smoke over the city”.
St Andrew’s was designed by prolific British architect Sir George Gilbert Scott in the 1860s.
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Gilbert Scott was behind the iconic Midland Grand Hotel at London’s St Pancras Station, the Albert Memorial and the Foreign Office buildings – also in the capital.
He designed and restored some 800 buildings, primarily churches and chapels, in his lifetime.
The Leicester blaze comes after a number of fires at churches across Britain.
A church in Southall, west London, was hollowed out by a large fire in February.
Another clip from the church showed firefighters standing by as a hose was deployed to tackle the blaze
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While Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral was alight in May – with worshippers evacuated by emergency responders.
There is no suggestion tonight’s fire in Leicester was started on purpose – but Daniel Berkoh-Gyamfi, the leader of Salvation Chapel International, has in the past spoken to GB News of attacks on his church.
He described a series of escalating attacks on the church building in Laindon.
“During the purchasing process, the building was subjected to continuous vandalism. We thought it was just one who had smashed the windows, but they later smashed everything in the church,” he told the People’s Channel.