PEOPLE living near a Newport building being targeted by arsonists say they are dreading next week's fire strike.

Yesterday the third fire in five weeks tore through the old art college in Clarence Place.

The building has become a haunt of people sleeping rough, and local people fear it could collapse if fire takes hold next Tuesday - when there will be just 40 Green Goddesses to cover the whole of Wales.

Fire chiefs have already warned that calls where there is a risk to life will have to be the priority.

And when the fire broke out at 4.43pm yesterday on the building's third floor, firefighters used a hydraulic platform unavailable to the Green Goddess vehicles.

Grandmother Doreen Vincent, of nearby St Vincent Road, said: "There are only so many fires that building can take. It could collapse. What are we going to do during the strike? "There have been three fires recently, but many more over the last year."

Residents of St Vincent Road have also asked the building's owner, property developer Thila Garaj, to take action.

Bob Bright, Newport City Council cabinet member for community safety, said that little could be done by the council to prevent further fires at the building as it is private property.

However, he added, if the property fell in to a state of major disrepair as a result of the fires, it could become a health and safety matter, and the council would be able to take legal steps against the owners.

And he pledged that a special eye would be kept on that building during the fire strike. Mr Bright said: "We have instituted special measures during the fire strike in that we are going to use the community wardens to be fire watchers. They will not be firefighters, that would breach health and safety, but they will be our early warning for fires.

"During the last fire strike there was statistically a dramatic increase in arson and a dramatic increase in hoax calls."

Passers-by had seen smoke pouring from the roof of the art college yesterday. The blaze broke out inches away from a makeshift bed, and youngsters were seen running away from the building. The cause is being investigated.

Sub Officer Russell Johns said: "We've been very lucky. The fire didn't get into the roof and we managed to get it under control quickly."

Nobody was injured in last night's blaze, but police warn that the building is not safe to enter. On Wednesday, September 17 firefighters rescued two teenagers from a blaze on the second floor.

Newport City Council served a notice on the owners of the Art College one week ago, requiring them to evict squatters and erect a wall around the site preventing people getting in.

This was done to the council's satisfaction.

Mr Bright said: "While we are not offering a private security facility for private businesses across Newport, we will be keeping a general eye on all areas of the city."

He added: "As a matter of public safety we will be devoting extra resources to monitoring the Art College."