Selby leisure centre in flames

Crews were scrambled from across the region after the alarm was raised by staff at 6.29am, and firefighters were pumping water on to the building.

Streets around the centre on Scott Road were closed to traffic, and police tape cordoned off footpaths to prevent people getting too near the building, which was belching out acrid smoke.

It is believed the fire started in a roof void. Four pumps were in attendance, two from Selby and one each from Tadcaster and York.

The inferno, which was discovered in the sauna room around 6.30am, gutted the first floor of the complex, which only last summer underwent a £1.1m refurbishment.

A spokesman for Selby District Council said: The fire was spotted by the shift manager who immediately alerted the Fire Service. Fortunately no other staff members or members of the public were in the centre at the time so an evacuation was not necessary.

“There has been extensive fire damage to the first floor and the ground floor has been damaged by smoke and water. It is impossible to say at present how extensive the total damage is and how long the centre will be closed until we have carried out a full assessment, which we are doing at present.”