Watford: deliberate fire

A large fire badly damaged the floor and caused smoke damage throughout the inside of Derby Road Baptist Church, Watford, on February 1.

A break-in was followed by what appears to be a fire started deliberately, causing damage to the church hall, which was laid out for a wedding the following day. The fire was lit in the central area of the church, burning a hole in the floor construction as well as a destroying a good number of chairs. The area affected was extensive, although the church hall and kitchen largely escaped the flames. The exterior of the building is unaffected, and remains structurally sound, but the interior wooden floor has burnt through badly.

Wedding and outreach

The wedding planned for the day after the fire was relocated, at short notice, to Grace Baptist, Cecil Street, and the wedding went ahead more or less as planned.