A FIRE which gutted a Bradford city centre garage has been ruled as arson by the West Yorkshire Police.

Police launched an investigation after a fire at MJ Autos, on Bedford Street, gutted the two-storey building on Tuesday night.

Firefighters from six stations across Bradford and Leeds battled the blaze for more than two hours.

The garage was left completely blackened, with windows smashed and the inside melted and burnt.

The building was "deemed unsafe" and was "in imminent danger of collapse" and the building started undergoing demolition on Wednesday.

Police launched an investigation and have now determined the cause to be arson.

A spokesperson for the West Yorkshire Police said: "A crime of arson has been recorded and enquiries remain ongoing."

Speaking about the demolition, a Bradford Council spokesperson said: “We have been working with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and the owners and insurers of this building.

“All parties have agreed the building should be demolished.

“We will continue to visit and check this site until the work is complete.”