NEIGHBOURS of Walthamstow's much-loved former EMD cinema have been credited with saving it from destruction after they leapt into action when it caught fire.

The historic grade II listed structure suffered only minor damage when part of its roof caught ablaze at around 7am on Friday (July 20).

But fire-fighters told residents that the building would have been engulfed "like an inferno" if they had not been on the scene within minutes to stop it spreading.

Kitty Allan, 53, whose house in Cleveland Park Avenue backs onto the rear of the building, by chance caught a glimpse of the first wafts of smoke when she went to her kitchen for a cup of coffee.

She immediately called 999 while one of her neighbours, chair of Cleveland Park Residents Association Caramel Quin, alerted its owners.

The site has been derelict since 2003 when religious group the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) bought and closed it.

The group recently submitted planning permission to convert the building into a place of worship, bookshop and six-screen cinema.

Ms Allan said: "I looked out of the window and saw there was a little bit of smoke.

At first my husband and I weren't sure what it was but we called the fire brigade.

"They got here fairly quickly and ran their hose through our house and into our garden to help put it out.

"I don't think the UCKG have proper security or a permanent presence in the building. It could have been a lot worse."

Contractors employed by the UCKG were carrying out repair work on the roof of the building, with the consent of English Heritage, and it is thought the fire may have been started by some of their equipment.

Paul Hill, Property Acquisitions Manager for the UCKG, said: “The fire occurred in a flat roofed ancillary building at the back of the property. The main roof was not affected, only an outbuilding immediately behind the former cinema.

“We are extremely grateful to Caramel Quin who called my mobile just after 7am alerting me to the presence of smoke at the back of the property.

“Her speedy action was invaluable in minimising the damage”.

Ms Quin said: “It's nice of them to sing our praises but I'm afraid I can't return the favour.

“There should be some security there and yet again it is the residents who are the guardians of the building, just like last year when we alerted the authorities to an attempted rave”.

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