Fire at Burton, Son and Sanders in Ipswich 'was arson'

Image source, Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service

Image caption, Several fire crews attended the scene of the blaze, in College Street, Ipswich

A fire in a Grade II-listed building is being treated as arson.

The blaze began on Monday evening at the derelict offices of former confectionary manufacturer Burton, Son and Sanders, in College Street, Ipswich.

Suffolk Constabulary is appealing to witnesses who saw any suspicious activity near the town's waterfront at the time of the fire.

The office closed in 1993 and the building has been empty ever since.

Several planning applications have been submitted to Ipswich Borough Council over the years to convert the building into a bar, hotel or for residential use.

The last was made in 2016 to re-roof the building and knock down a wall.