Homeless people trying to keep warm for the night were responsible for starting a fire at a historic brewery.

It is thought a small group broke into the listed Master Brewers building at the All Saints brewery site, in Highcross Street, Leicester, to escape freezing conditions outside on Wednesday night.

Firefighters from Leicester and Wigston were called to the incident when the alarm was raised shortly after 9pm.

On arrival, they discovered a fire on the ground floor involving clothes and various items of rubbish.

Further investigation revealed the incident, which is the latest in a string of fires at the building, to be an accident.

A police spokesman said: "It appears it was a small fire started by homeless people trying to keep warm.

"There was nothing malicious about it and fortunately no-one was hurt."

Mercury weatherman Dave Mutton said night-time temperatures on Wednesday dipped as low as –7C and are set to be almost as cold for the next few nights.

The incident has prompted an appeal from Leicester charity Action Homeless for anyone facing the prospect of sleeping rough to seek their help.

Chief executive Rob Parkinson said: "The last couple of nights have been extremely cold, however, emergency provision has been made available at hostels across the city.

"Nobody needs to be sleeping rough or in squats, which are inherently dangerous.

"I'm relieved no-one was hurt in this incident but would urge anyone facing a night on the streets in these freezing conditions to get in touch."

The old brewery site, which is next to the listed All Saints Church and sits in a conservation area, dates back to the 19th century.

Many unlisted buildings at the site have been demolished for safety reasons in the past 18 months, and a previous fire had already severely damaged the Master Brewers' house.

Owners Ingleby Ltd sought permission to clear the remainder of the site but their plans were rejected by Leicester City Council last August after a campaign by Leicester Civic Society and the Victorian Society to preserve the historic brewery. The company has pledged to secure the site.

A council spokesman said: "A buildings officer visited the site yesterday and was satisfied that the fire had not caused any more significant damage to the structure.

"The building's owners have been contacted and instructed to re-secure the site."

Stuart Bailey, chairman of Leicester Civic Society, said: "That makes it four fires at the building since July. I'm relieved that there was no significant further damage and would look to the owners to secure the building properly to prevent any further trespass and incidents of this nature in future.

"It's a key building in the conversation area and what's left of it ought to be preserved."

To contact Action Homeless, call 0116 221 1851 or visit:

www.actionhomeless.org.uk