A FIRE which destroyed a wooden bowls pavilion in Sittingbourne was almost certainly started deliberately. Heart-broken members could only stare in disbelief at the charred wreck of the 74-year-old Kemsley Bowls Pavilion in Ridham Avenue, Kemsley.

After the blaze broke out early on Sunday distraught chairman Peter Pearson, 75, said: "We were looking forward to celebrating our 75th anniversary in the pavilion next year but now everything is ruined. I have no idea at this stage whether the club will be able to continue.

"All our bowling equipment is destroyed as well as old pictures and records. We are right in the middle of our season and have 50 male members as well as 28 ladies. About 18 months ago our wooden changing rooms were also destroyed by arsonists but we managed to rebuild them in brick.

"The club is actually owned by UK Paper Leisure because it was originally built by Edward Lloyd when he owned the nearby paper mill," said Mr Pearson who lives in Wentworth Drive, Sittingbourne.

Treasurer Ken Wood, 72, of Langley Road, Sittingbourne, said: "One of the saddest parts of all this is that two oak benches with the names of past members on them have been destroyed because we always put them inside for safe-keeping. This fire is sickening and the village has really gone downhill since it was sold off by the paper mill which built it in the first place."

Leading firefighter Stuart Beadle from Sittingbourne fire station said: " We believe the cause to be malicious." The pavilion had security alarms and the area is surrounded by a high fence.