A FIRE that tore through a former nursing home in Almondsbury is believed to have been started deliberately.

Six crews from Thornbury, Patchway, Southmead, Kingswood and Temple raced to Oaklands Drive in Almondsbury on Saturday at 4.53pm after calls of a fire in a derelict two-storey building.

Upon arrival, firefighters found the fire affecting the first floor and the roof, and used six pumping appliances to suppress the fire in the former nursing home.

A quarter of the building was affected by the blaze, with crews remaining at the scene all night to ensure there would be no chance it could re-ignite.

Following an examination of the damage by fire investigators on Sunday, it was believed that the fire was started deliberately, and the case was passed over to police.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said that they were now investigating the incident, which was being treated as suspicious, and that a specialist crime scene investigation unit had examined the scene.

The spokesman added that door to door enquiries have also been carried out by officers.

Anyone who might have seen something or has information that could assist in police inquiries are asked to call 101 immediately, quoting the reference number 5216229988.