The St Barnabas' Chapel of Ease, in Deepdale, suffered severe structural damage in the blaze.

Part of the roof of the chapel, which was built in 1872, has collapsed and there is severe smoke and water damage inside.

Building control officers have recommended the site, on the corner of St Paul's Road and St Barnabas' Place, is fenced off and repairs are carried out to stop the building becoming more derelict.

The chapel was built as an annexe to St Paul's Church and was a community hub for 25 years until St Jude's Church was built.

After the First World War it re-opened as the Rialto Cinema and, until the 1940s, it was a thriving and popular picture house. When the cinema closed it became the town's Welfare Centre for the Deaf for many years.

It was most recently used as halls of residence.
Canon Derrick Walkden, reader at the Risen Lord team ministry in Ribbleton, said: "The chapel was built when that part of town was rapidly growing with the cotton mills.

"It's a shame this building is in such a state."

Firefighters spent more than three hours at the site after it was set alight on Friday.

Six fire appliances, including a mobile incident unit, were called to the scene and dozens of neighbouring properties were evacuated amid fears the chapel would collapse.

But the whole chapel's future is in doubt. The building could be razed to the ground as a planning application has been submitted for three new homes on the site.

Five youths aged 13-15 have been arrested on suspicion of arson.

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