A DEMOLITION crew is working to make a fire-damaged nightclub building safe so that an adjacent road can be reopened before the weekend.

Eight workers are removing the damaged roof and the top half of two gable ends at the Warehouse nightclub on Sackville Street, in Bradford city centre.

Masonry and timber are being removed piece by piece to prevent damage to neighbouring buildings.

Once the building is safe, the road can reopen and other bars on the street can benefit fully from the busy weekend period.

The partial demolition is being carried out by Bradford firm Thomas Crompton.

Managing director Thomas Crompton said work on the two gable ends would start tomorrow.

He is hoping that the building can be made safe and the road reopened before the weekend.

Mr Crompton said that it appeared the damaged building would not need to be completely demolished.

"The front facade looks to be salvageable but it needs further tests," he said.

"We are conscious this area is quite busy, especially on weekends with nightlife, which is why we have taken the decision to work through the night to make it safe for the public.

"We are hoping to get it done by the weekend."

The company is using two hydraulic platforms which are lifting demolition workers to the roof so they can remove it piece by piece.

Two large skips are on site to collect the debris.

A Bradford Council spokesman said: "Some demolition work has to be done to make the building safe and the owners are having that work carried out. The road will remain closed until the building is made safe."

The fire broke out in the three-storey building in the early hours of yesterday, at about 2.10am.

The roof of the building was destroyed.

Sackville Street remains closed both ways between Sunbridge Road and Westgate.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Bradford station manager Dave Cookson, who was incident commander, said: "The whole of the roof was involved in the fire, which was well developed when crews arrived. The roof has been extensively damaged but fire crews have managed to stop the spread of the fire to adjacent properties and no-one has been injured as a result of the fire."

The fire service said the nightclub was completely closed to the public at the time and no people were inside. A spokesman added that they believed parts of the building had recently been under renovation.

Buildings in the adjacent Barry Street suffered some water damage, including Tavern in the Town and Campbell's Sports Bar.

A man believed to be the owner of those venues and the nightclub did not want to speak to the Telegraph & Argus, but said: "I am absolutely distraught."