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| Boy, 14, charged over church fire | Boy, 14, charged over church fire |
| (19 minutes later) | |
| A 14-year-old boy has been charged with arson after a listed church in Greater Manchester suffered damage estimated at £500,000 in a fire. | |
| Police were called to the blaze at St Thomas' Church in Huddersfield Road, Newhey, Rochdale, on Friday night. | Police were called to the blaze at St Thomas' Church in Huddersfield Road, Newhey, Rochdale, on Friday night. |
| Nobody was injured but the main hall and roof of the building suffered extensive damage. | |
| The teenager has been bailed and is due to appear before Rochdale youth court on 9 January. | The teenager has been bailed and is due to appear before Rochdale youth court on 9 January. |
| Church warden June Swift said: "It has been really upsetting for everyone in the village. | |
| Church organ | |
| "We don't have a huge congregation but the church is a focal part for the whole of the village. It holds a great place in their affections." | |
| Twenty-five firefighters tackled the fire which started in an oil tank at the rear of the Grade II listed building. | |
| The church organ was destroyed and the building was left smoke-damaged throughout. | |
| The altar and main stained-glass east window are believed to have escaped damage. | |
| Church services will go ahead over Christmas but have had to be moved to the nearby St Thomas' Primary School. |