Pictures show scale of fire damage to Sunderland college building as police say blaze is 'not suspicious'

These pictures show the scale of the damage to the old Hylton Campus Sunderland College building after a fire raged at the building for several hours last week.

The top floor and the roof have been completely destroyed by the fire which was damaged most of the empty building.

The fire is not believed to have been started deliberately, and is not being treated as arson, police have confirmed.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “The fire is not being treated as suspicious and no injuries were reported.”

A spokesperson for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue said that it is believed the fire was caused by a “controlled burning” inside the building which got out of hand.

The three-storey building has sat empty since 2016 and is currently under demolition.

Firefighters were called shortly after 1pm and were at the scene within five minutes and a total of seven appliances from across Tyne and Wear attended and did not stand down until 8.30pm as the fire raged for several hours.

In total, 41 fire fighters were at the scene, while nearby residents were asked to keep their doors and windows closed as huge plumes of smoke filled the sky.

Surrounding roads had to be closed as firefighters brought the fire under control.

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