The fire service said the roof of the church had been ‘severely damaged’ while crews tackled the blaze
A coffin containing a body, prepared for a funeral service, was rescued from a large fire that swept through a historic Leicester church overnight.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) responded to St Andrew’s Church in Jarrom Street, Leicester, at 11.17pm on Tuesday.
The blaze, which required crews from seven fire stations to tackle, caused “severe damage” to the roof of the more than 160-year-old building, according to the fire service.
Lfrs said in a statement: “There have been no casualties and all persons have been accounted for.
“A coffin containing a body, left in the church overnight ready for a funeral service this morning, was retrieved and moved to safety by firefighters using breathing apparatus.
“The roof of the church was severely damaged by the fire.
“A fire investigation has taken place, and the matter has been handed to Leicestershire Police colleagues.
“Our crews will return this afternoon to reinspect for hot spots.”
Images shared on social media by Lfrs show flames and smoke rising from the church.
The fire service said it worked with Cadent and Western Power to isolate gas and electricity supplies and several roads in the area were closed on Wednesday morning.
The church, which is an Anglo-Catholic parish church, was built by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1862 from patterned red brick and vitrified headers, which are brick ends, according to the church website.
The Diocese of Leicester said in a statement that it was “deeply saddened” by the fire which has caused a funeral due to take place there on Wednesday to be relocated.
The statement added: “We are grateful to the emergency services for their swift response, and we thank them for all they are doing.
“At this stage, we are awaiting further information from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and would ask people not to speculate about the cause of the fire until the facts are known.
“Due to the incident, the funeral that was due to take place at the church today has been relocated.
“The family and those attending have been informed of the alternative arrangements.
“We appreciate the support and understanding of the community at this difficult time.”
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