Wigan Council used emergency powers to order the building, in Bank Street, Golborne, to be knocked down after a long-running series of arson attacks left it unsafe.

Golborne councillors Mark and Yvonne Klieve welcomed the demolition and said they were delighted that the council had taken strong action to rid the village of a dangerous eyesore that had blighted residents' lives.

Coun Mark Klieve said: "It has been a difficult issue for the council and us to deal with and it has taken some time.
"We were in the process of going to Wigan Magistrates Court to gain a court order to demolish the building.

"However, on Thursday, September 25, youths set it on fire again. This left the building in such a dangerous state that the council had to use emergency powers and ordered it to be removed."

The building has been empty for some time and has been the target of many vandalism and arson attacks over the last few years.
As a result, it was a constant source of complaints from local residents.

Wigan Council was aware of the complaints and felt that the building was in such a poor state of repair that it was now unsafe, although not immediately so.

A decision was taken to apply for a demolition order through the courts, but things changed two weeks ago when it was damaged by another fire.

Building control officers believed that the building was in such a dangerous state that the structural integrity of the building had been compromised.

Emergency powers were invoked and the decision was taken to have the building demolished straight away.
During this official process, the building has changed hands and the council is currently trying to identify the new owners.