A famous venue where The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who once played has partially collapsed after a fire.

The legendary bands performed at the Ritz Ballroom in Kings Heath, England before the club was turned into a cash converters store, which was partially destroyed after a blaze broke out on Wednesday (27Mar13).

Over 40 first responders were called in to battle the flames and police officials are currently investigating the cause of the fire as suspicious. No one was injured.

Jez Collins, who runs the Birmingham Music Archive, tells BBC News, "In Birmingham we've lost so much of our musical history. If you compare it to other cities like Liverpool and Manchester, which have really made something of their famous venues, we've lost a lot.

"People remember going to the Ritz to see The Beatles, The Stones, The Animals, Pink Floyd and all the big names of the time. People met their husbands and wives there and now that building's gone."

The Ritz Ballroom was shut down in the 1970s, but local officials had planned to celebrate the landmark's legacy in September (13), 50 years after the Satisfaction hitmakers first performed at the venue.