A fire that badly damaged an historic landmark in Gateshead, thought to be Europe’s largest timber structure, is being treated as arson, Northumbria Police has said.

The grade II-listed monument at Dunston Staiths opened in 1893, so that Durham coal could be dropped into boats on the River Tyne below.

The Staiths fell into disrepair following the decline of the industry, but have been restored and used as a visitor attraction, holding public events such as markets.

Crews from the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, including the Fireboat, worked through the night to bring the blaze under control after they were called out at around 2.30am on Saturday.

The blaze reignited later in the morning.

They tweeted pictures from the scene overnight, saying the fire was “extremely serious”.

The post added that: “Put simply, deliberate fires put people at risk”.

Detective Inspector Andy Gimza said the fire had caused “significant damage”.

He said: “This incident sadly comes after months of fundraising to restore the structure following a fire in 2019.

“At present we’re treating this as a deliberate act of vandalism, so a criminal investigation has been launched.

“If you saw anyone suspicious in the area of the Staiths late Friday night or early Saturday morning, please get in touch.”

Residents are also being urged to check CCTV.

Andrew Smith, from the Friends of the Staiths group, watched through the night as fire crews worked to put the blaze out.

He says he thought the damage would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to repair, and that he believed the fire was started on the upper of the structure’s two decks.

“Initially I was really angry because we put so much time and effort in as a group, having had to fundraise after a previous attempt,” said Mr Smith, a teacher who is a keyholder for the structure.

“But after watching the fire crews, me and another volunteer didn’t say anything, I was just numb.

“After seeing the sunrise, and it was so beautiful, I started to think – we’ll deal with this, one step at a time.”

Anyone with information is asked to visit the ‘Report an Incident’ section of the Northumbria Police website or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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