New images have revealed the extent of damage to a derelict social club, which is continually savaged by flames, as residents renew calls for the historic building to be restored.

Urban explorers Martin Halliday and Aron Hobson’s footage from the former Portlands Factory Club, in Northfleet, shows the destruction the property has suffered.

The experienced pair, known as DE-eVOLVED on YouTube, were visiting the town’s underground World War II bunkers when they decided to find other abandoned places to investigate.

They drove past the Grade-II listed building in the High Street, but running low on torch power and camera memory, they decided to return the following week to explore inside.

Martin, who lives in Southend, Essex, said: “Upon first glance, it was obvious that parts of the building had suffered substantial fire damage in the past; aside from that, it was essentially a shell, and a mere shadow of its former glory.

“Some features still remained, including a lounge bar and an upper-floor bar. We explored 95% of the building, only missing one of the two roof terraces.

“We took extreme care and trod extra carefully in some areas, including the second floor, as there had been a full ceiling and inner roof collapse. Exploring places like this feels almost second nature, and we are both cautious and careful.”

Martin and Aron shot pictures and videos inside the landmark building, at the junction with Factory Road, which showed fire damage to the roof.

Mountains of fallen wooden beams covered the floor as the pair attempted to climb over them, and paint could be seen peeling from the walls.

The pictures also show graffiti from vandals, rusty pipes and light switches and abandoned beer barrels, toilet blocks and bars.

Martin added: “We would love to see the building restored to its former glory, and used once again as a social club.

“Something that benefits the community and gives people somewhere to go in their spare time, to meet and play pool, drink, talk and laugh, a place where live and unsigned bands could play music and entertain the punters.

“Ultimately, it would be nice to see it used as a social meeting place that gets people out of the house and away from their TVs to meet people and make new friends in a clean, safe historic building that has been modernised inside in keeping with the times.”

The Portlands Factory Club was built in 1878 by cement manufacturer Thomas Bevan.

The property was once a hub in Northfleet and used by scout groups, for political meetings and theatre shows, had an outdoor pool and stage, and was also once a nightclub.

It has been empty for more than three decades, but in the last few years, it has been hit by four fires, causing residents to call for the building to be restored.

Following the most recent blaze in March, neighbours set up a social media group to show their support for bringing it back into use.

One member has since met those associated with the building and explained that the owner had passed away, and it is under probate.

They said the family are managing the property as much as they can legally, but once able to, they hope to restore it to “its former glory”.

Martin confirmed he was not aware the site had owners, but has since been told that they understood the explorers were there to document the place as they are interested in historic buildings.

He also said they have thanked his footage for showing where the entry points are, and are now planning to seal them to prevent would-be “arsonists” from gaining access.

Urban exploring is a hobby which involves venturing and usually documenting abandoned, derelict, or off-limits places, like historic buildings or tunnels, within a built environment.

It is not a criminal offence; however, it can breach civil laws, like trespassing, and in some cases can lead to criminal charges.

Martin, who started urban exploring during the pandemic after he quit his job, said: “It is about keeping history alive, and the adventure side is fun. It can be dangerous, and a lot of people do not understand it.

“There is a code that respectable explorers follow that is 'take nothing but photos and videos and leave nothing but dusty footprints'.

“We treat each place we visit with respect and would like nothing more than to see a lot of these places restored, preserving the original architecture.

“It reminds me of exploring places with my childhood friends. However, back then and regretably, we never took photos of the old abandoned places we visited.

“It has now taken us to some amazing places over the past four years or so, and has continuously been a coping mechanism as much as it has been the best hobby I accidentally found.”

Pictures obtained by KentOnline have also revealed the damage to buildings in Dartford once forming part of the famous Wells fireworks factory which supplied the Olympics and Disney, among other famous names.

And in Medway, eerie images show the remains of a creepy old school which is now a haven for vandals and squatters.

You can watch the full exploration of the former Portlands Factory Club on DE-eVOLVED’s YouTube channel.