6:17pm Friday 3rd July 2009
By Joanna Codd
FIRE has once again ripped through a derelict building in Bournemouth where a man lost his life a few months ago.
The blaze in Derby Road broke out at 1.30pm yesterday.
Police and 25 firefighters from Springbourne, Westbourne, Christchurch, Redhill and Ferndown stations attended.
One neighbour said: “My flat is about two metres away. I came home and it was full of smoke.
“I was packing all my stuff in case the building caught fire. Everyone was outside – I was never officially evacuated.”
There have been a series of fires at the former nursing home, which has been used by squatters and drug users.
After the last one at the beginning of April, the body of 49-year-old Richard Roberts was found on the second floor.
Fire officers say the latest blaze started in rubbish outside and spread to the building.
Nearby residents say the premises were in the process of being made safe by a demolition company.
A few months ago, Bournemouth Council rejected plans for a four-storey 55-bed nursing home on the site, saying the scheme was too big and unsuitable for the East Cliff Conservation area.
Planners and Bournemouth Housing Society for the Elderly are still trying to reach a compromise solution.
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