Riverside Club destroyed in fire

Scene of total devastation at luxury health club

The Riverside health club has been completely destroyed by a fire which broke out last night. There were no casualties and at this stage the Fire Brigade can give no indication of the cause.

The were alerted to the fire at 2.45am by cleaning staff but by the time they arrived less than 15 minutes later the blaze already had a grip of the buildings and despite 12 fire engines attending most of the facilities have been burnt to the ground. Firefighters from Chiswick station were the first on the scene and London Fire Brigade are still at the site damping down the burnt wreckage.

More pictures from the scene

Most of the club's buildings - including indoor tennis courts, pool areas, changing areas, reception and cafe areas - have been gutted and the entire complex is closed to members and staff.

The scene of the fire is completely closed off and police are asking members of the public not to try and visit the site. ChiswickW4.com was given access to the site by London Fire Brigade and as we spoke with fire fighters parts of the structure were collapsing.

Esporta has issued the following statement: "Esporta, which owns and operates the Riverside, will be contacting members as soon as possible to advise them that special arrangements are being made for them to use any other Esporta club in the group, including the nearby Chiswick Park club. The other Esporta clubs in London are: Croydon, Kingston, Northwood, Enfield, Friern Barnet, Islington, Swiss Cottage, Wimbledon, Wandsworth. Further information will be made available as soon as possible.Esporta regrets the inconvenience caused to members and asks them to bear with us during this difficult time."

The two closest Esporta Clubs that have facilities for children are Northwood and Croydon. Esporta Chiswick Park have no facilities for children

A local architect who is a member of the Riverside and witnessed the devastation this morning told us that given planning issues it could be three years or more before the club reopens.

March 31, 2006