VILLAGERS fear a derelict tannery near York could pose a serious danger for teenagers after it was again targeted by arsonists.

The tannery, in Sheriff Hutton Road, Strensall, has been a magnet for vandals and arsonists since it fell out of use.

It was once again set ablaze in the early hours of yesterday and it took four fire crews to bring it under control.

Natalie Gilmour, landlady of The Ship Inn, in Strensall, described seeing the building on fire when taking the dog out for a walk shortly after midnight yesterday.

She said: "Within minutes of me phoning the fire brigade, it just went up. They got it under control pretty quickly, it was burning quite fiercely. They were there until about 4.30am."

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue crews used water from the nearby river to douse the flames. A spokesman confirmed the fire was deliberately started.

Now villagers want to see the tannery knocked down, saying its unstable structure poses a real danger to children who regularly congregate there.

"I think it should just be demolished," said Ms Gilmour. "It's more the younger children, the ones who are 16 and under that are over there all the time, playing in there. I can take my dog out and I can hear kids over there at 12 o'clock at night, playing, shouting, and just being rowdy. It's dangerous. There are all sorts over there. If one of them fell into something - that's a serious concern I think.

"The majority of people around the village that have spoken about it think it should just be demolished."

Leeds-based tanning company Charles F Stead & Co Ltd, which owns the building, was granted outline planning permission to put a large business park there in 2004.

In Spring 2005, much of the tannery was wrecked in a blaze which was also started deliberately. It was the third time it had been targeted by arsonists in just a few months.

Later that year, a 15-year-old admitted starting the fire in court. He was put under curfew and electronically tagged for the offence.

Selby Youth Court heard that the teenager, who could not be named for legal reasons, lit a piece of paper in the building before fleeing with two other youths when he could not put the fire out.