A new housing estate and a church hall were attacked in an arson spree.

Detectives are investigating after three homes under construction on the site of the former Patricroft Royal Ordnance Factory on Green Lane, Eccles , were torched - causing £250,000 of damage.

Around the same time, in the early hours of Monday, a nearby church hall at Monton Unitarian Church was also set alight.

Countryside Properties are currently building about 142 properties on the Green Lane site, close to the Bridgewater Canal.

Fire crews were called to the incident at about 3.15am and discovered one of the homes under construction engulfed in flames.

Damage caused to Monton Unitarian Church by arsonists

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Greater Manchester Police confirmed the fire was being treated as arson.

A short time later emergency services were called to the church.

Reverend Anna Jarvis, the minister in charge of the parish, said: “It seems like there has been a bit of a spree.

“Houses that are being built were set on fire and then our church hall.

“Someone has thrown a brick hrough a window, set fire to curtains, and then left. We have been very lucky that the the other curtains and the plastic chairs did not catch fire as well.

“Importantly no one was hurt, just a third of one wall of the hall damaged.

“We have cleaned up the hall and it is open again, it is well used by local groups for yoga, bridge, and other activities.

“While obviously we were upset at the damage to the hall both for ourselves and our user-groups from the community, what saddens me most is that the people who did this must feel so rejected and neglected by society if the only way they wish to relate to it is destroy it.

“Whether or not they recognise it, there must be some level of anger and hurt that is making them either want to lash out, or feel so completely alienated from society that they do not care about it all.

The Rev Anna Jarvis, minister at Monton Unitarian Church

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“It makes me so sad that our community is not apparently able to show these people that they are valued enough and cared for enough that they don’t need to use violence and destruction as their only way of expressing themselves.”

The hall, built in 1992, is next to the listed church, built in 1875, which was unscathed.

Countryside are building 78 apartments and 68 houses on the damaged site.

A spokesperson for Countryside commented: “We have been working closely with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to support them in their management of the fire at the development on Green Lane on Monday 13 June.

“We can confirm that no injuries have occurred and we are currently assisting the authorities in their investigations to determine the cause.”

It is understood security staff were on site when the fire started.