POLICE have refused to rule out arson after a High Wycombe church was gutted by fire on Sunday evening.

Fifty firefighters from Marlow, Stokenchurch, Beaconsfield, High Wycombe, Aylesbury and Amersham battled with the blaze at St Mary's Church in Totteridge Road, High Wycombe, but they could not prevent the roof from collapsing.

The blaze is believed to have started around 8.30pm on Sunday evening in the main part of the church building.

The last fire crews left the scene at 7.20am yesterday, almost 12 hours later.

Onlooker Trevor Brett said: "I came down the road and smoke was right across it, practically covering it.

"It's been abandoned for, I'd say, about ten or 12 years. I reckon it's arson myself. It's got to be. It was bound to happen."

The fire was under control by 10.34pm but crews worked through the night to make the building safe.

Senior Divisional fire officer Peter Culley said: "We got the call at 8.33pm. We had a priority message saying reports were being received that there could be people in there.

"We started with four pumps but very quickly after only about ten minutes it had to be increased to six pumps.

"The building has very high roofs which were well alight. It became a very dangerous situation so we removed all the firefighters from inside the building and got the fire under control from the outside of the church. Obviously the weather conditions have been against us and we will be here for a considerable length of time."

Police are investigating.