CAMPAIGNERS have suffered a crushing blow in their bid to save a Victorian building in West Ealing from demolition.

Developer Notting Hill Homes has been given permission, with conditions, to demolish St Helena's Home at 51 Drayton Green.

The demolition would be part of a redevelopment project at the site to build 31 new homes.

A five-storey residential block at the front of the plot will contain 26 flats, and five more will be built in two small blocks at the back of the plot.

Eric Leach, secretary for West Ealing Neighbours, said St Helena's, which dates back to 1897, was once run by nuns and was used to rescue girls and young women from a life of crime and vice.

He said: "It's obviously very sad that it will not be preserved. I know there are two separate planning applications for this scheme, one for demolition and one for development. But it looks very unlikely at this stage that the building would be spared. It's sad as it is a little slice of history in the heart of West Ealing."

Mr Leach said there had been an attempt to get English Heritage to register the building as listed but it had not been successful.