Man detained after ‘severe’ fire breaks out at mental health centre

A man has been detained on suspicion of arson after a fire ripped through a mental health facility.

The 43-year-old was held as firefighters tackled the "severe" blaze which broke out at the George Bryan Medical Centre, part of Sir Robert Peel Community Hospital, in Tamworth, on Monday night.

Staffordshire Police said the suspect, from Tamworth, had been detained and appealed for information from witnesses.

Some 10 crews from Staffordshire, West Midlands and Warwickshire fire services were deployed as fire took hold at the facility, prompting the evacuation of nearly a dozen occupants and staff.

A spokesman from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said that there was "quite a lot of the building involved" in the blaze.

"We're trying to sacrifice part of the building and let that burn to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the hospital," he added.

Staffordshire Police said they were called to the incident at 9.15pm. There are no reported casualties.

The force said 11 occupants and staff were evacuated from the centre and were being transferred to other local medical centres.