Arson suspected at Shropshire Church building
Arson is suspected after a fire broke out at Nicholas Church Parish Rooms, in Newport, at around 2.30am on 24th June.
The arsonists broke into the building and set fire to books which caused damage to the committee room, kitchen and the roof.
Chris Ammonds, from West Mercia Police said: “Our investigations are still on-going. We have collected a number of items and sent them away for forensic testing. We are now waiting for the results of those tests and for the results from our media appeal. Anyone with any information is urged to contact us as a matter of urgency.”
Denise Wakefield, spokeswoman for West Mercia Police, added: “Extensive damage was caused to the building, including the roof space. Many items were completely destroyed, although exactly what was damaged has not yet been established. It appears that access had been gained to the rear of the premises and a fire had been started in a small storage room. Police are treating the incident as arson and we would appeal to anyone who has any information in relation to the fire to come forward.”
Nursery equipment destroyed in arson attack
A fire which broke out at a school in Cheltenham is thought to have been started deliberately.
The fire at Dunalley Primary School broke out on 22nd June at around 8.00pm and destroyed much of the outdoor play equipment used by the Ducklings nursery. Three sheds were also destroyed in the blaze.
Headteacher Judith Price said: “I came in on Saturday morning to look at the damage in daylight and it was just devastating. It’s upsetting for the children. I have had to tell them what has happened. Everyone is so good at looking after our school. It’s got a lovely environment. It’s so well looked after by the school community and neighbours. It’s fortunate our neighbours were alert because a few more minutes and it could have had a devastating effect. Five more minutes and it would have caught hold of the school – that’s what the fire officers said. Some of the plastic guttering used to harvest rain water on the side of the school has melted.”
Many bikes, trikes, play mats, toy cars and dressing up clothes were destroyed in the fire.
Ms Price added: “Everything that they use to play with outside has gone up in smoke.”
One parent said: “I’m absolutely livid about it. To think the vandals have burned all these kids’ toys and play equipment is a disgrace. They are all very upset about it.”
Chris Jackson from Gloucestershire police confirmed that the incident is being treated as arson. He added: “We need to establish the circumstances in which the fire started and would appeal to anyone who saw suspicious activity on the night to call us. No matter how insignificant you think it may be, please let us know so we can judge.”
Working Men’s Club destroyed in arson attack
Staffordshire firefighters were called to a huge fire at a disused working men’s club on the evening of 18th June.
Crews spent around 4 hours tackling the fire at the Old Mills Working Men’s Club and Institute in Blurton at about 8.40pm.
Station Manager Rob Barber confirmed that arson is suspected. The building was so badly damaged that it will now need to be demolished.
Mr Barber said: “We have carried out our investigations and have gathered enough evidence to support a conclusion that this fire was started deliberately. We will do everything in our power to help Staffordshire Police bring those responsible to justice – arson is a serious crime, it endangers many lives and ties up emergency services for hours.”
There were no casualties reported in the incident. An investigation into the cause of the fire is now underway.
Arson suspected at Gwent college
A fire that broke out in a college in Wales is thought to have been started deliberately.
Firefighters attended the incident at the Pontypool campus of Coleg Gwent at around 1.30am on 5th June after a fire broke out in a ground floor office.
Crews from New Inn, Cwmbran and Pontypool spent over an hour bringing the flames under control.
Inspector Ian Thomas, from the Gwent Police force control room confirmed that the blaze is thought to have been started deliberately and there are indications that some kind of accelerant was used to start the fire.
There were no injuries reported in the incident. A full investigation into the cause of the fire is now under way.
West Yorkshire fire service warns of £20,000 fine
West Yorkshire firefighters are warning potential arsonists that if they start grass fires they could be faced with a £20,000 fine.
West Yorkshire Firefighters have been called to 40 moorland wildfires so far this year.
In 2011, firefighters had to tackle a deliberately-started fire on Baildon Moor in March, which caused significant damage to an area used by ground-nesting birds such as curlew, lapwings and skylarks.
In another incident, 50 acres of Grassington Moor was destroyed by fire as controlled burning was fanned by winds.
The fire service has warned that anyone found to have started a fire deliberately on a Site of Special Scientific Interest could face a fine of up to £20,000.
Station Commander Robin Ward, said: “Moorland fires are notoriously difficult to tackle because they are often in inaccessible locations, where there is little or no water supply. They burn quickly and ferociously and, when driven by strong winds, can be unpredictable and dangerous for firefighters. These fires can cause damage to the land and they can wipe out wildlife.”