ONE of York’s biggest sports clubs has been saved from destruction by a quick-thinking neighbour after arsonists struck.

Two bins filled with rubbish were set alight just before midnight on Tuesday outside the main entrance to the York Railway Institute sports and social club in Holgate. The flames threatened to tear through the building.

Firefighters arrived in time to prevent the blaze spreading thanks to club member Alison Pattison, who lives nearby and raised the alarm in time to prevent too much damage being done. Club manager Caroline Knight said the crews had told her that, had they arrived just a few minutes later, the fire could have burnt the building down.

It started next to an extension to the Hamilton Drive club’s premises where the Community Spirit Boxing Club, which last year received grants worth £48,000 from Sport England, is based, and Caroline said: “That would have been the biggest loss, but we were told the fire could have spread to the rest of the building and the whole club could have been destroyed if Alison hadn’t seen what was happening and reacted so quickly.

“The fire had already spread to the window frames and cracked the glass, but it could have been much, much worse because of the idiots who started it. We are so grateful to Alison for what she did.”

Alison, whose family are also club members and who lives on nearby Mattison Way, said: “I smelled the fire and saw smoke when I looked out of my window, so I ran across to the club, saw the bins were on fire and called the fire service.

“I did what anybody else would have done, but the firefighters said the building would have gone if they hadn’t been called quickly. I’m just relieved it didn’t do more damage, because without this club there would be nowhere for local children to go.

"I can’t believe the stupidity of the people who started the fire - they obviously don’t realise what they could have done.”

Caroline said only minor repairs would be needed to the windows burned by the fire, with North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service being able to put out the flames within ten minutes of arriving.

North Yorkshire Police are treating the blaze as arson and seeking witnesses.