Somerset fire damages derelict Butleigh Hospital site
Much of a derelict community hospital in Somerset has been damaged by a blaze which was started "deliberately".
Fire crews were at the former Butleigh Hospital, near Street, for several hours from 01:00 GMT working to bring the fire under control.
At its height, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue said the ground floor, first floor and roof space were well alight.
Due to the unstable nature of the building, an internal inspection had to wait until daylight hours.
A spokesperson for the fire service said the cause of the fire was deliberate and the incident had now been scaled down.
The hospital was closed in 2005 and has since been unused with the site becoming derelict.
Last year Mendip District Council granted planning permission for 15 houses to be built on the site.