SAFETY concerns over access to a disused social club which was ravaged by a fire were reported earlier this week.

The former Severn Bridge Social Club building in Chepstow was engulfed by a fire on Wednesday evening.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed it attended a separate blaze at the building on Saturday at around 12.15pm.

Crews from Chepstow and Caldicot stations attended the scene and used specialist equipment to extinguish the fire.

Chepstow councillor Armand Watts said residents contacted him with concerns over the site not being secure following the incident at the weekend.

Cllr Watts said he contacted Monmouthshire council’s environmental health department on Monday and the planning department on Wednesday to report concerns over access to the site.

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“I had a couple of complaints from residents expressing concerns that the site was open immediately after the fire at the weekend and it’s effectively been left open since,” he said.

The former social club is out of use and plans have been submitted to demolish the building to make way for a Lidl supermarket on the site.

Fire crews were called to the blaze which ripped through the structure of the building at around 7.15pm on Wednesday.

Residents were evacuated from homes nearby and others were told to keep their windows and doors closed.

Nobody was hurt and emergency services are investigating the cause of the fire.

Cllr Watts said it was ‘disappointing’ the site had not been secured following the fire at the weekend.

“It begs the question as to why the site was not put back,” he said.

“I am going to write to the police and fire service to ensure they investigate it extensively.”

A spokesman for Lidl said the supermarket is “working closely with local authorities to help secure the site as soon as it is safe to do so”.

“As this is now a police matter, we are unable to provide any further information at this time,” the spokesman said.

Monmouthshire council was contacted for comment.