Investigators are being hampered in their efforts to establish the cause of a huge fire which gutted an historic cemetery chapel as the building has been deemed 'unsafe to enter'.
The 170-year-old chapel in Heywood cemetery was destroyed in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Workmen have secured what remains of the severely-damaged building, which is thought to date back to around the time the cemetery opened in 1856.
But a Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said because chapel has been deemed unsafe to enter a full forensic examination to determine the cause cannot be carried out.
The case is still open.
In a statement Rochdale council said specialists were working to assess the cost of repairs and see if any 'heritage assets' could be salvaged.
The statement said: "We are working collaboratively with our insurers and on-site structural engineers to determine the full extent of the damage and potential cost of repairs in the hope of retaining heritage assets where possible.
"This detailed work is likely to take some time. The site is secured, although we would advise people to avoid the immediate area.
"We have seen a great sense of community spirit in Heywood and across the borough, with many offers of help - we’re incredibly thankful for this.
"For now, we kindly ask that time is allowed for us to conduct our investigations and remind residents that we do not endorse any crowdfunding platforms set up to support efforts to rebuild the chapel.
"We’ll provide further updates in due course."
Speaking on Saturday Coun Peter Rush, chairman of Heywood Township, said: "It's very disappointing, particularly at this very sad time.
"It was built for the people of Heywood and it's very precious to us.
"It's a big loss.
"It's sad to lose any building like this, but you feel it a bit more when it's so close to home."
