6 September 2010 Last updated at 22:50 ET

Ringo's debut club, the Kingsway in Southport, on fire

A fire has broken out at a disused Southport nightclub where drummer Ringo Starr made his Beatles debut in 1962.

The fire, which began on Monday evening, affected all three floors of the former Kingsway club on Coronation Walk, the fire service said.

At the height of the blaze, 12 appliances were in attendance.

Four appliance remained at the scene at 0340 BST, and a fire service spokeswoman said the incident was being scaled down.

The Kingsway has been earmarked for demolition as part of a £9m scheme to develop a hotel, shops and flats.