ERITH’S former swimming pool has been set alight by arsonists for the second time in four days.

The Riverside Pool in Erith High Street was closed in 2005 when the new Erith Leisure Centre in Avenue Road opened.

It has been derelict since then and has been extensively vandalised.

Fire broke out on the ground floor of the building last Friday and 20 firefighters had to set up an exclusion zone following the discovery of gas cylinders.

Firefighters were back at the pool on Monday after another blaze in one of the first-floor offices.

This was caused by someone setting light to discarded paper, cardboard and wood.

A council spokesman said the gas cylinders were empty and were dumped before the fire started.

The second fire was caused after someone removed part of the 12ft high security fence to get in.

He said all dangerous materials had been removed when the pool closed.

The building is due to be demolished.