MEMBERS of a cricket club near Stourport which was ravaged by a fire have vowed to restore their community venue.

The fire broke out at Wilden Village Cricket Club at about 4pm on Tuesday last week and around 30 fire crew, four fire appliances and a water carrier attended the scene.

It was extinguished within an hour and firefighters remained on the site for four hours.

Around half of the furniture in the club was destroyed, windows were blown out and doors and carpets damaged.

The worst damage was done in the Harvey Shaw room, which is used for meetings and special events, and is where the fire is believed to have started.

A cabinet containing more than 20 trophies, including some that were 100 years old, was damaged and the majority of them melted due to the heat.

The club, in Wilden Top Road, has been established since 1979 and now has around 300 members, as well as three cricket teams and four football sides that use the grounds.

Club secretary, Nic Harvey, said: "I am deeply upset. I was one of the initial people who started the whole thing off and we have built it up from scratch over the years, with community help and a small amount of grant money. The community has worked very hard on it. Money was raised by the community for the community."

He added: "There's this phoenix feeling. People are saying we will carry on. We have got a lot of work to do but we will get on with it. It has been a shock to the system. Many have said 'will you be open next week?'"

On Sunday, January 29, around 100 members braved the cold and packed into a marquee outside the club to watch the televised Wolves v Manchester United FA Cup match.

Mr Harvey said there was a good community spirit and members were fully committed to getting the club ready to reopen, adding: "At the moment, we don't know how much it is going to cost to sort it all out but, whatever it takes, we will do it."

Alec Mackie, spokesman for Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue, said the fire was not believed to be the result of arson, adding: "We and the police could find no evidence of a break-in.

"Precisely what started it is subject to some forensic tests by the police on some material that was in the fire.