POLICE are hunting arsonists who tried to set fire to Middlewich Community Centre over the festive period.

It happened sometime between Tuesday, December 26 and Tuesday, January 2 when the offenders forced rubbish through a window into the building before trying to set fire to it.

Fortunately the flames did not take hold, but there was still more than £800 damage caused to the window and building interior.

The community centre's Reg Jackson said: "It was lucky that the fire was held back by our resistant curtains or it could have been significantly more serious.

"It appears that whoever did this climbed on to the wheelie bin and then took rubbish from inside it and pushed it through a rear window.

"It will not affect the running of the centre but I cannot understand why people seem to be targeting community facilities in Middlewich."

In August last year the Wych Centre was completely gutted by a blaze just weeks before the youth club's 25th birthday celebrations were due to begin.

The damage totalled more than £50,000 and since then the youth club committee and local teenagers have worked hard to get the centre back up and running.

"I cannot think what people get out of this. It's just a total anti-social attitude - they are destroying things that provide an outlet for the community," added Mr Jackson.