Newport church fire: Worshippers meet in car park
Media playback is unsupported on your deviceThe congregation of a church destroyed by fire held a service in the neighbouring car park as a probe continues into the cause of the blaze.
The 130-year-old Bethel Community Church on Stow Hill in Newport was gutted after the fire spread from a derelict nightclub next door on Friday.
About 95 firefighters and officers fought the blaze and two people have been arrested on suspicion of arson.
The Newport mayor was among the 250 people gathered for Sunday's service.
"Our building may be gone, but the church is alive," said pastor Andrew Cleverly.
Worshippers said prayers and sang songs as Mr Cleverly asked the congregation to "pray for the future of this church" and for the community to "stand up and be strong".
Mayor Malcolm Linton and council leader Debbie Wilcox were among the gathering and offered the council's "continuing support in helping the church to recover from this devastating fire".
A 43-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman from Newport are being questioned in connection with the blaze that started in the old Zanzibar nightclub and spread to the church.
No-one is thought to have been hurt but a cordon remains on Stow Hill while the joint Gwent Police and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service investigation gets under way.
The fire was finally extinguished on Saturday evening - about 24 hours after it broke out and spread to the church just after 18:15 BST on Friday.
It has emerged concerns about the state of the former nightclub, which closed in 2010, had been raised with officials days before the blaze.
Newport Conservatives said they emailed the city council on 7 June calling for the former Zanzibar and Heights 2000 club to be inspected due to "fear this could collapse or end up going up in flames".
The complaints came following an online video showing people walking around the derelict building, which was full of debris and loose wires.
Newport council said it was inappropriate to comment as arrests have been made.
But Ms Wilcox said in a statement: "Practical steps need to be taken to support the church and its congregation in the short and medium term.
"Our staff teams have been working in close partnership with the fire and police teams since Friday evening."
About 40 people were evacuated from neighbouring properties after the fire, but some have since returned home.
Stow Hill remains closed to vehicles and pedestrians between School Lane and Havelock Street, meaning some bus services through the city centre are being rerouted.
