SINGAPORE - A 60-year-old man who allegedly set ablaze a room inside St Hilda's Church at Ceylon Road was charged in court on Tuesday (April 18) with committing mischief by fire.

Yeo Liang Chai is accused of committing the offence between 6.45am and 6.50am on Sunday (April 16).

He will be remanded at Central Police Division and may be taken out to assist officers with their investigations.

Dressed in a white polo T-shirt with blue jeans, Yeo was expressionless as he stood in the dock when the charge was read out to him.

He is unrepresented and will be back in court next Tuesday.

In a news release, the police said that the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received a call at around 7am on Sunday, stating that black smoke had been spotted coming out of the roof of the church.

SCDF dispatched two fire engines, two fire bikes, two support vehicles, a red rhino and an ambulance to the scene.

According to the police, the fire involved some books in a room on the second floor and the blaze was confined within.

SCDF officers used a compressed air foam system to extinguish the flames and no one was injured in the incident.

If convicted of committing mischief by fire, Yeo can be jailed up to 10 years and fined.