A centre for people with disabilities described as a "lifeline" has been destroyed by vandals mere days after it reopened from lockdown.

The Disability Resource Centre in Love Street, Paisley was set alight on Thursday night, leaving the roof partially destroyed.

It had only opened four days before after being closed since lockdown, the Paisley Daily Express reports.

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Emergency services raced to the scene at 7.30pm to control the blaze which police are now saying is deliberate.

Shocking pictures shared to Twitter show that the roof has been completely destroyed and walls charred.

Large areas of the interior is also left damp and wet after firefighters battled the flames.

Bosses at the Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership have confirmed that the centre will be closed “until further notice" after only just sharing a picture of how happy users were that the centre had reopened.

A spokesman said: “We’re devastated by the news of a fire at the Disability Resource Centre (DRC).

“Unfortunately, this means that after only four days of reintroducing building-based services at the DRC, we have no choice but to close the building again until further notice.

“The safety and wellbeing of everyone concerned is our first priority. We are working with our partners to develop interim and longer-term plans with the best interests of all service users as the main focus.

“We will continue to offer our outreach, digital and welfare support in the meantime.”

The centre has an accessible kitchen, library and club room and activities on offer include art, tai chi, yoga, knitting, history, computing, film making, photography, woodwork, web design, gardening, social sciences, cookery, creative writing and relaxation.

Various disability groups and organisations also use the centre for meetings and activities.

A spokesperson for Scottish Fire and Rescue said: “We received a call at 7.29pm with reports of a building on fire in Love Street, Paisley.

“We mobilised six appliances to attend the scene and put the fire out.

“We left the incident in the hands of Police Scotland.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were made aware of a fire at premises on Love Street in Paisley shortly after 8.25pm on Thursday, 18 November.

“The fire was extinguished by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and no one was injured.

“The fire is being treated as deliberate and enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with information can call 101, quoting 3155 of 18 November.”