FEARS are growing that someone will be killed at Newport's derelict art college building following the latest blaze at the site this week.

The building in Clarence Place has become a haven for squatters and gangs of children since it closed a decade ago.

On Monday night fire crews were again called to the art college to tackle a rubbish fire - the latest in a string of fires inside the landmark building. And residents of Clarence Place are now calling for the council to speed up the planned redevelopment of the building.

One resident said: "For the last year or so, and especially now in the summer holidays, people have been going in and out of there.

"It is a completely open building. Every time I walk past there I hear big groups of people partying or just in there.

"If you think about kids running around in there it is dangerous and people could be seriously injured or even killed.

"It is not going to take much. Someone is going to be hurt and a Newport landmark will be destroyed."

Tony Devlin, sub-officer at Maindee fire station, said some elements of the building were dangerous.

"There are still a lot of timbers that can cause fires to escalate." He added that it was "highly dangerous" for children to enter the building. Plans to convert the building into flats were revealed in the Argus in 2003.

But the plans foundered last November when councillors heard the conversion of the college would not include its own parking facilities. Michael Merritt, a spokesman for the developer, said plans had been resubmitted for planning with new arrangements for cars and car parking. A Newport council spokeswoman said a decision would be made in September.