A MAJOR investigation is under way today after a massive blaze destroyed a historic community hall in Glasgow.

A MAJOR investigation is under way today after a massive blaze destroyed a historic community hall in Glasgow.

The fire gutted Shettleston Hall, in the East End of the city, at around 4.30am today.

Police and fire chiefs are probing the early morning blaze which broke out on the ground floor of the venue in Wellshot Road.

Building control experts were due to visit the site today to determine whether the hall's brickwork facade can be saved.

The council-run hall is regularly used by the community for events, meetings, clubs and classes and urgent arrangements will need to be made to find organisations alternative accommodation.

Glasgow's Licensing Board regularly used the venue for its meetings, because of its size, until recently.

Neighbours raised the alarm when the fire spread to the second floor of the building.

One woman, who lives in a flat opposite the hall, said: "I woke up and rushed to my front window and I could see the fire raging.

"I was worried it was going to spread to the houses backing onto it. The whole place went up really quickly."

More than 30 firefighters and five appliances tackled the blaze.

Wellshot Road was closed to traffic this morning, between Ardlui Street and Fairburn Street, as firefighters battled to secure the building.

Water was still being sprayed onto the building at 8am this morning - almost four hours after the fire broke out.

Ian Ramage, group commander for Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, said: "The interior of the building is away, it's completely gone.

"The fire spread from the ground floor to the second level in the roof. It was well developed when we arrived but we managed to contain it.

"The facade seems to be in tact but it needs to be examined later today."

Strathclyde Fire & Rescue investigation team will conduct an investigation with Strathclyde Police when the building is deemed safe to enter.

Senior staff from Glasgow City Council's building control department were due to inspect the damage later this morning.

The hall, or halls, as they are sometimes called have been at the centre of community life for more than 80 years.

Work on the hall, which overlooks Tollcross Park, started in 1922 and was completed three years later.

Construction was supervised by Thomas Nisbet who was then Master of Works with the Glasgow Corporation.