A fire broke out in a derelict block of flats in High Wycombe yesterday evening.

The fire appears to have broke out on the ground floor of an abandoned block of flats in Pettifer Way.

Three fire crews dealt with the blaze.

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It has not been confirmed if the fire was started deliberately.

The block - which is one of the Castlefield 'star blocks' set for demolition - is completely empty because residents were moved elsewhere ahead of a planned £40 million regeneration of the area by housing association Red Kite.

Plans to knock down 97 dilapidated flats and replace them with 194 new homes were given the nod by Wycombe District Council's planning committee in December last year, but no progress has yet been made on the site.

Mark Haines, assistant director – technical at Red Kite, said: “We continue to move forward with our ambitious plans for the Castlefield development.

"Having passed a significant milestone last December, following the decision by Wycombe District Council to grant planning permission, we are now looking to procure the right developer to move the project on to the next stage.

"In the meantime, we continue to undertake regular inspections of estates and homes that we manage, ensuring these are well maintained and kept safe.”