By Hayley Robinson

A cricket pavilion is likely to remain closed for up to six months after a fire tore through the roof.

The cost to repair the damage caused by the blaze which broke out in the boiler room of the Gore Court Cricket Club facility could be as much as £250,000.

While the repairs are covered by insurance, chairman Brian Birch says the club’s finances will suffer while the work is carried out as its main income is from the bar.

He said: "It will dent our finances. It will affect us by maybe by £12,000 – it could be more than that which is a pretty serious impact for us.

"Unfortunately for the club we didn’t have business interruption insurance.

"We’re going to have to look at ways of cutting our costs while the work is going on, it’s difficult to see a way to increase revenue so we need to look at cuts."

Up to 20 firefighters from Sittingbourne, Sheppey and Teynham, were called to the pavilion in London Road, Sittingbourne just before 11am on Saturday, January 8.

It took them more than an hour to tackle the flames with crews wearing breathing apparatus.

A report into the fire lists the cause as a fault with the gas boiler.

Mr Birch added: "It’s heart-breaking. The roof had been completely replaced and work finished just two weeks before Christmas at the cost of £9,700.

"At the moment there’s some scaffolding up and a ‘tin hat’ over the top of the club house so the roof can be totally removed and new roofing put on."

Sittingbourne Rugby team and Gore Court Hockey team regularly use the facilities and cricket is played there in the summer.

Toilet and shower facilities are still available for teams to use after their matches.