Fire at Bristol museum We The Curious caused by birds damaging solar panels on roof

Bristol museum We The Curious has said a fire that broke out on the roof of the building was more than likely caused by birds that had damaged the solar panels.

The popular visitor attraction has said that it expects to remain closed for 'months' whilst repair work continues.

The fire started on April 9 with staff, visitors and a wedding party that had gathered being forced to evacuate.

It had hoped to only remain closed for a couple of weeks but that has now been extended due to the significant amount of damage.

In a statement on its website, the attraction said: "On Saturday 9 April, a fire broke out up on our roof, located on a section of our solar panels.

"Avon Fire & Rescue Service and the police arrived quickly and dealt with the fire; all our staff and visitors were evacuated safely.

"The evidence indicates that damage to the photovoltaic solar panels was most likely caused by birds, which caused a fault in the electrical system. This then resulted in a fire spreading to the roof.

"Our team of contractors has been assessing the damage; we’ve sustained some significant fire and water damage to the roof, our second floor and our building systems.

"It’s all a little more complex than we first thought, especially as water is still finding its way through the building, so those assessment surveys are still taking place.

We don’t currently have a reopening date yet, but we know we’ll be closed for a few months", they added.