The stage where Paul McCartney and John Lennon first performed together has been severely damaged by a fire.

A devastating blaze broke out at Jade Studios in Liverpool, formally known as the New Clubmoor Hall Conservative club.

The site was where McCartney made his debut stage appearance alongside Lennon as part of The Quarrymen back in 1957 before they went on to form the Beatles.

The owner of the dance school has now spoken out about her devastation – as she faces damages in the ‘hundreds of thousands' of pounds.

Since 2012, Louise Edge has operated the venue as a dance club, for children and adults, after she won the building in an auction.

But on Wednesday, March 19, the building was severely damaged in a devastating fire, which was started on a nearby parcel of land.

Devastatingly, the building's stage, where Lennon and McCartney performed, was also damaged in the fire.

Louise said: "The stage is a really famous part of Beatles history."

"When we went in [with insurers], they touched it to see how safe it was – the insurers stepped on it and said ‘that's not safe, that's going to have to be gone'."

"Everything just needs completely gutting they said, a complete strip back. Structurally it's sound, which is really good, but the whole floor, the walls, the ceiling's completely gone."

"It will need a new roof, that whole section is basically going to be a shell and then starting again."

Louise, 47, added: "There was a lot of equipment in there that we use, and it's just all gone."

"It's devastating for the kids, because they've done a lot of fundraising for the equipment for the acrobatics classes, and that's all gone unfortunately."

Insurers have now told Louise that the contents of the building may not be covered by her insurance policy.

The club is now desperately trying to raise £8,000 to replace the equipment for whenever they are able to reopen.

Louise, who took over Jade Studios from her mother back in 1998, purchased the club's current venue at auction back in 2012.

While the dance club owner was aware of the Beatles history associated with the building, she says it wasn't mentioned at auction – allowing her to get it for a cheaper price.

The mum-of-two said: "I was praying, please don't mention the Beatles history because the price is just going to go up and up and up."

"They didn't, thankfully, I don't know if they'd just not done their homework and didn't realise, but they didn't mention about it."

"I did know about the history before."

However, the club now faces an agonising wait as insurers find out the full extent of the damage, with the club potentially unable to open for another year.

All the contents of the building, including music systems, gymnastics equipment, tables, and chairs will need to be replaced.

A tearful Louise added: "The impact it's going to have on the kids and the community, and adults as well."

"It's very much a place parents will come and sit and chat, they don't just drop their kids off and go. It's such a family."

"I've got a lot of kids that really struggle in school and attend, and I was really emotional the other night."

"I've been so busy trying to organise things for classes and everything, I didn't get to read people's posts about it until the Sunday night."

"I got really upset because so many people had said how their kids' safe space has gone, and I think that's the hardest thing to be honest, because that's so important for kids who struggle."

Those who wish to donate to the fundraiser can do so here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jade-school-of-dance-after-a-fire-at-our-studio .