A ROW of houses damaged by a fire in Darlington do not need to be demolished, the council has confirmed.

An unoccupied end terrace on Aldbrough Walk in the Lascelles area of town bore the brunt of the blaze which broke out in its back yard on June 21.

The neighbouring two houses also suffered some fire and smoke damage but a spokeswoman for Darlington Borough Council, which owns the properties, said they did not need to be demolished and the authority was working with an insurance company to find the best way to rebuild and repair them.

Two young men were arrested on suspicion of arson shortly after the fire and were later released on bail.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Ian Banham of Darlington CID, said enquiries were still ongoing and a decision over whether to charge any suspects was not expected until late next week.

Nobody was injured in the blaze, but one family lost many possessions and were forced to move house due to the damage it caused.