Arson attack causes ‘devastating’ damage to Wakefield club

A fire started deliberately has caused “devastating” damage to a sports and social club, its committee has said.

Walton Sports and Social Club’s lounge and tap room were destroyed by the blaze on Friday. No one was hurt in the fire.

The committee, which has run the club on Shay Lane, Wakefield, since it opened as a miners’ welfare in the 1960s, said a crowdfunder had already been launched and they were overwhelmed with the response.

Det Insp Steve Sayles, of West Yorkshire Police, said it was a deliberately targeted attack and could have been “significantly worse”. The force has released CCTV images of a man it wants to speak to as part of its investigation.