Councillor appeals for sprinklers in all new homes after Derby fire deaths
Martyn Ford from Derbyshire County Council has called for sprinklers to be installed in all new homes after 6 children died in a house fire in Derby last week.
Mr Ford said: “Sadly it has taken another devastating house fire, claiming six young lives, to yet again highlight the urgent need for domestic sprinklers to be installed in all new-build properties. I realise that we are too late in this instance, lives have been lost and others changed for ever, but it needn’t be like this. As a former member of Derbyshire Fire Authority, I urge all readers to view the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service website, follow the links to domestic sprinklers and view the incredibly impressive video on just how quickly and effectively a fire in a home is extinguished.
“There is also a link to an e-petition that needs just 100,000 signatures to trigger a debate in Parliament. The Welsh Assembly has already passed legislation requiring sprinklers to be installed — the rest of the politicians in the UK need to start to act very quickly now to catch up and get effective legislation on the statute that empowers local planning authorities to condition sprinklers on every domestic property application. It costs a small amount of money to have a firefighter in every room. We must take action now.”
If you would like to sign the petition to get this issue discussed in parliament all you need to do is click here.
Three arrested for Northampton arson attacks
Police have arrested three people in connection with suspected arson attacks carried out on two homes in Northampton.
The incidents happened in the space of a few hours and were in the same area.
A spokesperson for Northamptonshire Police said: “Officers have today arrested three men in connection with this week’s arson attacks in Drywell Court, east Northampton. The men, two local and one from out of the county, are currently being held in custody for questioning.”
The second fire, at the single storey home of an elderly disabled woman caused significant damage to the property which has been left structurally unsafe. Thankfully the woman managed to escape with only minor injuries.
A neighbour who witnessed the incident said: “I was woken up by the smoke, it was frightening and I quickly got my children up and out of the house. I turned and saw flames coming out of next door’s home, I couldn’t believe it. It is a terrible thing to do but the main thing is that everyone is okay.”
A woman living in the house that was targeted first said: “I still can’t really understand what’s happened, we saw the explosion and just got out. My daughter was shouting, it could have been her bedroom. I can’t believe they returned and did another house. Another neighbour had a brick through their window. Who could do this? Thank God everyone is okay.”
Detective Inspector Ally White from Northampton CID said: “These are very serious incidents and we asking anyone with information about these incidents, who we have not yet spoken with, to come forward. Thankfully no-one was hurt as a result but one of the properties sustained severe structural damage. We are confident that these incidents can be isolated and that there is no wider risk to the community. But we will be putting on extra community patrols, day and night, to reassure residents in the area. We would ask people living in the vicinity of these incidents to report any suspicious activity to us.”
The investigation into how the fire started is being carried out.
8 teenagers arrested after Longton arson attack
Arrests have now been made after a major fire broke out at a warehouse in Longton.
A total of 8 teenagers aged 14 and 15 from Stoke-on-Trent were arrested in connection with the fire and have been questioned by police officers. Seven have been granted bail and one 14 year old is being held in custody.
The warehouse was destroyed in the blaze and the surrounding areas suffered severe disruption to roads and rail services.
Brian Griffiths, from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue, said: “This was a very severe fire and has destroyed the contents of the building, believed to have mainly been pottery lithographs. Following a joint fire and police investigation yesterday we are treating this fire as suspicious and the police have made some arrests in connection with this incident.”
Richard Cresswell who is the chairman of Longton Chamber of Trade believes that the building will continue to be the target of arson attacks. He said: “The fire was about 20 yards from our Calor gas depot, so the fire fighters had to force their way in to keep all the cylinders damp as a precaution. They had to do it, although the risk of explosion was minimal. That building has been empty for five or six years now and this is the second time it’s been set on fire. The last time was around 18 months ago. They should knock the thing down before it happens again. The fire was absolutely horrendous. There’s nothing for teenagers to do around here, so you will get some who will break into a building and see if they can get the fire brigade out.”
Arson suspected at recycling yard
A fire which hit a recycling yard in North Lanarkshire, Scotland on Easter weekend thought to have cost around £500,000.
20 firefighters attended the fire at the New Town Skip Hire site in Motherwell on 8th April.
Detective Sergeant Scott Wilson said: “The premises is owned by a recycling company and the damage is mainly to a high-value piece of machinery which is estimated to be worth half a million pounds. Officers are checking the extensive CCTV from the yard and carrying out enquiries in the local area. Although this happened in the early hours of the morning, Albert St can have a steady stream of taxis and cars at this time, so it is possible that someone may have seen people or vehicles acting suspiciously in the area before the fire or making away at speed after the incident.”
Radio mast arson attack
Two radio stations have had their services severely disrupted after a fire was started at a Bristol aerial mast.
Firefighters believe the blaze at East Dundry Lane was started deliberately.
BBC Radio Bristol’s 94.9 FM and Jack FM’s 106.5 FM were affected in the incident.
A spokesman for mast owner Arqiva said: “Five other communications services which use the tower have also been affected. The structure itself has been declared safe and technical teams are on site to effect repairs as soon as possible. Our hope is to get services restored by early evening.”
Avon Fire and Rescue Service said: “The damage was confined to the base of the mast but as there was evidence the fire was deliberate, police were called.”
An investigation into the cause of the fire will be carried out.