MEMBERS of a popular community church have pledged to rebuild it after a devastating fire gutted it causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

The inside of Cranleigh Community Church was wrecked and the roof severely damaged in a blaze in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Church members have been inundated with offers of help from other Bournemouth churches and various organisations.

They hope to get as many of their community groups as possible up and running in different locations soon.

Church elder Keith Lake said: “We held a meeting on Sunday night and firstly we would like to say we are very grateful that there were no casualties - that was a real blessing.

“We want to express our thanks to the fire service who did a brilliant job in containing the fire. They were appropriate, sympathetic and kind in the way that they dealt with it.

“A lot of people in the local community have said how concerned they are because they have a connection with our church. I have been amazed at the wonderful response from local churches in Bournemouth.”

The church, in Cranleigh Road, Southbourne, is insured and will be closed for the foreseeable future.

Nine fire engines and an aerial appliance were called to Cranleigh Community Church at 1am following multiple emergency calls from the public.

The fire ripped through the building, causing “terrible damage” inside and to the roof, according to the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Safety Team.

But crews managed to save the building, tackling the blaze using 18 breathing apparatus, four main jets and two hose reel jets.

The cause of the fire is being investigated, but it is not thought to be suspicious.

People gathered outside the church in torrential rain for worship and prayer at 10.30am on Sunday because they were unable to get into the building for their usual service.

Hundreds of people use the evangelical church every week for worship and a variety of different community groups.

They include Tuesday Fellowship, The Furnace Prayer Meeting and Messy Church, which allows young people to take part in crafts, food and Bible stories.

There are five different groups for young people from newborn to 18 on Sunday mornings and the church runs a parent and toddler group.