Massive blaze at Mount Zion church

One of Norwich’s biggest churches was severely damaged last night by a blaze that engulfed the whole building.

Up to 100 firefights from across Norfolk tackled the fire at the Mount Zion Family Life Centre on Heartsease Lane in Norwich.

But church leaders have responded to the blaze by saying that the church is about people and not a building and they already looking to the future.

Some 15 fire engines plus support units attended the blaze which quickly took hold of the timber-framed building.

Steve Mawston, one of the church’s leaders who attended the scene, told the Eastern Daily Press: "I got a call to come to the church at around 10pm and when I got here I was just shocked. It felt so surreal seeing the church going up in flames in this way.

Steve said the building had been closed for the night from about 9.45pm.

"It is a great tragedy what has happened here tonight but my feeling is that this will bring our church closer together and it will make us stronger,” he said.

"We believe we still have a great future. Our church is not a building - it is about people.

"We still have a lot to achieve and I know that we will all go forward from here."