Arsonists are believed to have been responsible for a blaze which gutted a church hall in Whitton.

The hall besides Whitton Methodist Church in Percy Road went up in flames in the early hours of Sunday morning (September 13).

Church steward Robin Gammon said the fire is believed to have been started deliberately, with evidence of a forced entry to the building having been found.

Police have confirmed the incident, in which no-one was harmed, is being treated as a suspected arson attack.

The force has launched an appeal for witnesses to come forward if they saw any suspicious activity in or around the church.

Mr Gammon said the hall, which was used by a play group and a number of clubs and society, had been "extensively damaged"

He told getwestlondon part of the roof at the far end of the church had collapsed and much of the equipment in the hall had been destroyed.

The church hall after the fire

However, the section nearest the church had suffered only smoke and water damage and would likely be salvagable.

While structure is still being assessed, Mr Gammon said it should be possible to restore the hall rather than rebuild it from scratch - meaning it would only be out of action for a few months.

He added services at the church should be able to resume in a couple of weeks once minor damage to the kitchen and toilets had been repaired.

"Our main aim is to get the church and facilities up and running, which we hope to be able to do within a couple of weeks," he said.

"The hall is extensively damaged - that's likely to take a few months to repair. It's particularly frustrating as I'd just finished redecorating the hallway and hall, which had taken about six weeks.

"Police have said there's evidence of forced entry and arson. If that's true, it's very sad someone would do this to a church hall."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Met Police on 101 quoting reference 0709171/15 or call Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.