Coffin rescued from burning 160-year-old church

A coffin containing a body prepared for a funeral service was rescued from a large fire at a church that is more than 160 years old.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said it received multiple calls to St Andrew's Church in Jarrom Street, Leicester, at 23:17 BST on Tuesday. At the height of the fire, eight engines were at the scene.

On Wednesday, the service said there had been no casualties and the fire - which caused severe damage to the church roof - was likely to have been started accidentally.

Pastoral assistant Liam Keatley described rushing to the scene to help fire crews retrieve a coffin, which had been placed inside the church ahead of the funeral of a "beloved" warden.

The fire service said its response had been scaled back, although the incident remained ongoing. It added it was working with Cadent and Western Power to isolate gas and electricity supplies.

Multiple firefighters in breathing apparatus entered the building to extinguish the fire and to protect other areas of the church.

On Wednesday afternoon, the fire service said: "Following a fire investigation this morning, we can now confirm that the most probable cause of the incident is accidental.

"The fire began on the ground floor before spreading to the roof of the church. The building was secure at the time, with no sign of forced entry."

The fire service said in an earlier social media post that the blaze had sent "a smoke plume over the city".

According to the church's website, the building was constructed in 1862 and it is an Anglo-Catholic parish in the Diocese of Leicester.

Keatley said on Tuesday night, the church was preparing for the funeral of a "beloved" warden, whose coffin was placed in the sanctuary under the high altar.

He said he went to the church on Tuesday evening to "make sure everything was OK", before locking up the site and setting the alarm.

The 21-year-old went to bed at about 23:30, and said he woke up half an hour later with "something desperately telling me to get to the church".

He added as he was rushing to the building, he received a phone call informing him the church was on fire.

Keatley said the chapel of St John was "badly damaged" by the fire, whereas the high altar - where the coffin of the church warden was situated - and the Lady Chapel were "completely fine".

He told the BBC the coffin, the Blessed Sacrament and other important items were brought out of the church.

"Of course we weren't allowed to go back in because the building was badly on fire from the roof," he said.

He added the church meant "everything" to him and said: "I've only been here three weeks, and it's completely changed my perspective on the church."

The Diocese of Leicester said the funeral of the church warden would take place at an alternative location.

In a statement, the Diocese of Leicester said it was "deeply saddened" by the fire and the "immediate concern" was for the safety and wellbeing of everyone affected.

It added: "We are grateful to the emergency services for their swift response, and we thank them for all they are doing.

"At this stage, we are awaiting further information from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and would ask people not to speculate about the cause of the fire until the facts are known.

"Due to the incident, the funeral that was due to take place at the church today has been relocated.

"The family and those attending have been informed of the alternative arrangements."

Jamie Dawes, a fire service station manager, told the BBC the fire was "well developed" when crews arrived.

He said it had been able to spread "quite quickly" because much of the church's structure was made out of timber.

"Our firefighters worked really hard," Dawes added. "They did a fantastic job to check the fire, put the fire out but also stop it spreading to the neighbouring buildings, including university buildings."

He said firefighters wearing breathing apparatus had safely retrieved the coffin.

Leicestershire Police said it was notified of the fire at 23:36 on Tuesday and that the cause of the fire was under investigation.

It added an examination of the scene and assessment of the structure would be carried out in due course.

The force advised those travelling into the city to avoid the area or find an alternative route.

Residents living nearby have been urged to keep their windows and doors closed.

A spokesperson for the fire service said: "We would like to take this opportunity to ask members of the public to please be careful during this ongoing heatwave with anything that could start a fire, whether in the countryside, or in urban areas.

"The warm, dry conditions mean fires can start easily and spread very quickly."

Additional reporting by Helen Astle and Helen McCarthy

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