A teenage girl has been arrested in connection with a fire at Woolton Hall.
The derelict 18th century building was set ablaze on Tuesday evening following reports of youths seen in the grounds of the property.
Crews from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene and were able to extinguish the 100 metres by 100 metres fire overnight.
A joint investigation has been launched by Merseyside Police and MFRS to established the cause, which is believed to be deliberate from initial inquiries.
A 14-year-old girl from Liverpool was since detained on suspicion of arson and has been conditionally bailed after being taken in for questioning.
Detective Inspector Daniel McWhinnie said: “This appears to have been an extremely reckless act at a historic building that has stood at the site for hundreds of years.
“We know the community will be rightly shocked by what happened and we are determined to find all those responsible.
“We received reports of youths congregating near the hall shortly before the fire was reported, and we would appeal to anyone who was there or knows who was there to contact police.
“If you are a parent or guardian in the area and your child was out that night, we ask that you enquire about their movements and what they might know.
“If you were driving in the area of Speke Road on Tuesday evening and captured anything on dashcam that you think in hindsight may be useful to our enquiries, please get in touch.
“We are carrying out a number of lines of enquiry, including speaking to potential witnesses and assessing CCTV in the area, but I would ask for anyone who knows anything to contact us as soon as possible.”
Anyone with information should contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X @MerPolCC or on Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’.
You can also report information via their website here or call 101 quoting incident reference 25000688649.
Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website here. In an emergency always call 999.