A FIRE at a tennis club which burnt the clubhouse to the ground is believed to have been started deliberately.

Sometime between 2am and 2.30am yesterday morning (Wednesday) a wooden clubhouse burst into flames at Ombersley and Doverdale Tennis Club on Droitwich Road.

Diane Grove, chairman of the tennis club said: "It is a great setback for a small club, it is very sad to think that somebody might have done it deliberately.

"We were burgled in November and now we have this, it is really upsetting.

"The clubhouse is completely destroyed, there is no way it could be repaired as it is a wooden clubhouse, as soon as the fire started it would spread quickly.

"The courts were not damaged so we are trying to keep them open, although some of the fencing may have been damaged."

Police travelling along the A449 from Worcester to Kidderminster reported seeing a cloud of smoke and flames coming from the Ombersley and Doverdale tennis club.

A police spokesman said: "When officers arrived on scene the fire was sourced to a wooden clubhouse near to the tennis courts.

"The fire looked as if it had been started no more than 5 minutes before officers arrived.

"Fire service were called to put the fire out.

"Damage was also caused to signage and furniture on the adjacent tennis courts due to the intensity of the flames."

No-one was injured in the incident.

Enquiries are currently ongoing and police are keeping an open mind as to the cause of the fire, but it is believed it was started deliberately.

Officers are keen to speak to anyone who witnessed the incident or who saw people acting suspiciously in the area at the time.

Anyone with information, call West Mercia Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting incident number 37S of May 3.