Firefighters battle large fire in Worlingham community centre near Beccles

A road in Suffolk has been closed after fire crews battled a large blaze in the early hours of this morning.

At 2.50am today, crews were called to reports of a fire at a property on Rectory Lane in Worlingham, near Beccles.

Six crews, including appliances from Lowestoft and Beccles, attended the incident and discovered the old community centre, about 10m x 4m, on fire.

In the early stages of the incident, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service asked nearby residents to keep their doors and windows closed and remain away from the smoke plume.

Police were also in attendance to assist with road management and a closure is in place on Rectory Lane.

According to a Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, crews quickly made good progress and by 5.30am the incident was scaled down, with three appliances remaining on scene to damp down and extinguish hotspots.

From 7.30am onwards, two relief crews will remain at the scene.

To begin with, 11 fire engines had originally been ordered, but four were returned back to their stations before arriving at the incident and one appliance was released from the scene shortly after arrival.

As of about 9am, Rectory Lane was in the process of being cleared of debris and rubble.