MORE than 40 firefighters battled to quell a fire in a derelict Poole house on Saturday night with people feared trapped inside.

It is believed the fire at the Alexandra Road property, which backs on to Alexandra Park, in Parkstone, was started deliberately.

Thankfully, all people were accounted for but flames destroyed the whole second floor and roof of the building.

Crews arrived at the scene at 8.30pm and used thermal imaging equipment to establish if there were people inside.

Resident Myles Davies, who lives opposite the building, said there had been a spate of minor fire incidents in and around Alexandra Park of late.

He said: “Police have been down to deal with anti-social behaviour in the park recently.

“There has been some fire-raising in the area.”

Flames and smoke poured out of the second-floor fire and were visible around the Parkstone and Alder Road areas of Poole.

The neighbouring Alexandra House care home was also briefly threatened with evacuation but firefighters managed to prevent the flames spreading to trees between the two properties.

The blaze was extinguished by 10.45pm.

* A fire which gutted a camper van in Manton Road, Hamworthy, in the early hours of yesterday morning is also thought to have been the subject of an arson attack.

Hamworthy firefighters took around 35 minutes to put out the fire, which started at 1.40am.