The Lancashire Evening Post had exclusive access as contractors Pete Marquis began two weeks' work to pull down the badly-damaged ex-student halls at St Barnabas Place in Deepdale, Preston.

A digger easily brushed aside walls and doors to tear out massive chunks of the old St Barnabas' Chapel of Ease, allegedly torched by youths on Friday, July 11.

Six fire crews spent more than three hours at the site after it was set alight and 20 nearby homes were evacuated for fear of the fire spreading.

Operator Mark Bell said: "It was a mess when we got here. It will probably take two weeks to finish and clear it up.

"You can tell that it used to be a community centre as the walls are reinforced, so it's not as easy to tear down."

Demolition work started after part of the roof, built in 1872, collapsed.

The building has previously served as a chapel, cinema, welfare centre for the deaf and, most recently, halls of residence.

Books and magazines – many written in Polish – cooking equipment and telephones remained in the smoke-damaged rooms.

* Three boys and two girls, aged between 13 and 15, were arrested on suspicion of arson and released on bail.

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