SECURITY is to be stepped up at a hospital after arsonists broke into an out-building and destroyed masses of paperwork.

A disused ward of West Cheshire Hospital bore the brunt of the attack last Saturday afternoon.

The building was previously used as a psychiatric ward but is now a storage building for old hospital records and files.

By the time Chester Fire Brigade were called to the scene shortly after 4pm the blaze was well under way with smoke billowing out of the windows.

Sub-officer Tony Jones said: 'It was a serious fire in a ground floor room of the building. We think kids got inside and set it alight.'

Four firefighters were sent into the building with breathing apparatus. The fire was so intense they had to leave the building within a short space of time and another team went in to tackle the flames.

Sub-officer Jones added: 'Fortunately there was no-one in the building and the incident was concluded by 6.15pm.'

A spokesman for West Cheshire Hospital said: 'The fire service was called to Dunham Ward after youths broke in and set fire to the inside of the building and a quantity of old files were destroyed.

'Fortunately no one was injured as a result of the the fire but this type of behaviour is not acceptable and is exceptionally dangerous.'