A fire which destroyed a former church in Bradford is being treated as deliberate. 

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue (WYFRS) tackled the building fire on Undercliffe Road for most of Monday evening following a call out at 4.33pm.

Flames could be seen flickering inside the disused building while clouds of grey smoke rose into the sky.

Si Cunningham, the councillor for Bolton & Undercliffe, issued an update on the situation.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Bradford Council's Building Control team is visiting the former chapel to ensure it is safe.

The councillor said: “We’ll be speaking to Building Control as a matter of urgency this morning to ensure that the site is safe for the local community."

The incident was logged as deliberate and has been closed, WYFRS said.

He added: "We’d like to thank West Yorkshire Fire Service and local police for their swift response.”

Earlier this month, a planning application to demolish the church and build shops and industrial units in its place had been submitted to Bradford Council.

The council spokesperson added: "I’m aware that the building was subject to a recent planning application, and due process will be followed as it should be with any planning matter."

The chapel, based at 114 Undercliffe Road, had most recently been used as a workshop.

Crews from Bradford, Shipley, Fairweather Green and Stanningley fire stations attended the scene.

Speaking at the time of the fire, one eye witness told the Telegraph & Argus: "I can see smoke coming from the roof, a lot of tiles have gone.

"You can smell the smoke all around the area.

"The roof is not in a good way. There's smoke coming from the roof. A lot of the roof is gone."