Residents are calling for responsibility to be taken for derelict buildings, after a fire engulfed a former town-centre nightclub.

Many throughout Workington are concerned about the apparent rise in anti-social behaviour and rough sleepers in the town, and fears have only increased since the Ladies’ Walk blaze on Saturday night.

Three men were arrested on suspicion of arson on Sunday in relation to the fire, which saw the former Fusion building go up in flames as neighbours watched in horror, before being evacuated.

The 28-year-old and 20-year-old from Workington, and 21-year-old from Whitehaven have since been released on bail as police investigate.

As the fire tore through one of the town’s many empty buildings, Workington town councillor Paul Scott feels more needs to be done to protect the town he loves.

“For some time now Fusion, The Flames bar and old Opera House have been a magnet for rough sleepers and anti-social behaviour,” Mr Scott, representing St John’s ward, said.

“Local residents and members of the St John’s Ward Residents' Association have raised this issue many times, and while Allerdale Council has worked hard to improve the area, something more needs to be put in place."

He continued: “I must commend Cumbria Fire Service for controlling the fire and stopping it spreading to other local properties.

“The old brewery has some lovely flats in it but has some wood visible near the top of the building that could have very easily caught fire and caused much more damage to that property or worse, injured the residents.

“Ladies Walk is one of the oldest streets in Workington, and we should focus on improving standards of these buildings very quickly.”

Workington Cricket Club, which neighbours the building, has opened its grounds to residents who have been made homeless by the fire, giving them a place to leave their cars while in temporary housing.

Groundsman Malcolm Wood said: “The residents really are our friends, and we wanted to open our doors to them and help in some way.

“We’ve got quite a few cars using the grounds now, which is good to see because it’s helping with the problem of off-road parking.”

He added: “We’re just pleased [the fire] didn’t spread and there weren’t any casualties.”

A police spokesman said: “Enquiries are ongoing into the incident and officers are working alongside Cumbria Fire and Rescue as part of their investigation.

“We would like to thank the nearby residents for their cooperation and understanding.”

Officers are appealing for witnesses and information, and any dashcam footage of the area between 10pm-11.15pm.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 if they haven’t already, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting log 358 of May 30.