Firefighters spent more than two hours tackling a blaze at a former leisure centre on the edge of Norwich this evening.

Eastern Daily Press: Oasis sports & leisure club in Thorpe St Andrew. Photo: Bill SmithOasis sports & leisure club in Thorpe St Andrew. Photo: Bill Smith (Image: Archant © 2014)

At around 5.50pm, firefighters were called to the former Oasis Sports and Leisure Centre in Thorpe St Andrew to reports of a fire inside the building.

Four crews from Sprowston, Carrow, Earlham and Wroxham attended the blaze, which was to the rear of the former leisure facility, which is due to be demolished to make way for a new care facility in due course.

Firefighters spent around two hours fighting the blaze, which required fans to be used to clear the smoke.

A neighbour to the former leisure centre said: "The firefighters did a very professional job and reassured us that we were not in any danger.

"It seemed to be quite a small fire but there was quite a strong smell of smoke. There was not too much commotion there."

Another said that the building was a fairly regular victim of break-ins and vandalism, but that the area was also often used for police dog training exercises.

A spokesman for Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service said the last crew on the scene left at around 8.36pm and that there were no people in the building when firefighters arrived.