Maldon District Council may re-consider security cameras at the town's Promenade Park after a blaze gutted a store building by the Marine Lake, causing around £65,000-worth of damage.

The blaze, early on Sunday morning, effectively put the Marine Lake out of action this week. It had to be drained after chemicals and debris from the fire polluted it.

Director of community services, John Knight, said he hoped the lake will be ready in time for weekend visitors.

He said the possibility of CCTV cameras at the park had been looked at before. "That will be looked at again in the light of this and, possibly, increasing security patrols. We will be going back to members with a report at a future committee meeting."

The fire started at around 12.30am and is being treated as suspicious. Two fire crews from Maldon were called to the scene. Station officer, Martin Cable, said: "When we arrived the whole of the building was well alight.

"We had to withdraw the crews initially so we could put breathing apparatus on, but we were hampered by the chemicals which were stored in the shed. We had to wash them into the lake."

Only about an hour and a half earlier the fire brigade had been called elsewhere in the park to deal with a wheelie bin on fire.

The council's parks team leader, Dave Taylor, said the fire completely destroyed the building which is used for storing chemicals to clean the lake and maintenance boats.

He said: "We managed to salvage one boat, but all our outboards have gone.

''We weren't sure how much of the chemicals stored in the building got into the lake.

'There was certainly a fair amount of debris from the fire in the lake so we we drained it as a precaution on Sunday morning."

It is the second major fire at the park - last year a boat shed was burned to the ground.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the blaze. Anyone with information is asked to contact Maldon CID on 01621 852255 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

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