Why wasn't more done?

It has emerged that the night before Sunday's devastating blaze the fire brigade was called to another suspected arson at the building.

And people living in nearby Saxon Court say they have regularly seen youths going in and out of the derelict landmark.

Wendy Dixon, who lives yards away from the Locarno in Saxon Court, said: "I've been waiting for it to happen. The way kids have been in and out of there, I wasn't surprised when it went up.

"I can't understand why there was three fire engines there the night before and then it all went up the next day.

"I got fed up with ringing the police every night to say there were kids hanging around the back because nothing was done about it."

Firemen were called to the Locarno at 6pm on Saturday night 21 hours before Sunday's devastating blaze to deal with a small fire in the main hall area.

Three fire engines attended and firefighters found that some pieces of foam rubber had been set alight.

Wiltshire Fire Brigade spokesman Andrew Har-greaves said: "We dealt with a small incident and that was that. It would be down to the police to secure the building." Two hours after this first fire, according to a Saxon Court resident who asked not to be named, youths tried to break in to the Locarno.

She said: "I saw three kids. One of them was wearing a baseball cap. One was climbing up the wall and the other two were waiting at the bottom.

"It looked like they were trying to break in. When the fire broke out the next day there were kids standing in front of it and they looked similar."

She described them as aged 15 to 18, wearing jeans and baggy clothing and in one case a beige baseball cap.

Mrs Dixon said that the former Locarno ballroom and Town Hall buildings had been broken in to on numerous occasions.

She added: "There was a bit of board put across the fire doors at the back of the building because they were flapping open and keeping us awake. About a month ago the kids ripped that off to get in there and I think they've been there ever since.

"The week before the fire the back door was open and at about 1am the night before the fire I saw kids there. They were just shouting and mucking about and banging the doors.

"They woke me up because I sleep with my window open. I have told the police about this."

Det Sgt Mark Smith said: "I know there have been reports of youths getting in there before. I have been to the premises myself earlier this year."

He said he was unsure whether it would have been the police or fire brigade's job to make the building secure after the first fire.

Swindon police have prom-ised to look into the matter.

Det Sgt Smith added: "At the moment we've appealed for members of the public to come forward with any sightings before, during or after the incident.

"We have done house-to-house inquiries and we have got some photographic evidence to review.

"We have some photos of the fire in progress and will be looking at the background to see if the culprits have returned to the scene."

The Locarno and Town Hall buildings are to form the centrepiece of a major Old Town construction project.

Owner Gael Mackenzie is planning to turn them into a bar on three levels and a restaurant.

Plans have been drawn up plans to build an Italian-style piazza in The Square, with 162 apartments in three nearby blocks.

According to Swindon Council the stone exteriors of the two buildings remain intact and the fire should not jeopardise the project.

Mr Mackenzie has been unavailable for comment since the day of the fire.