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.
Rioter sentenced to 11 years for starting furniture store fire
The man accused of starting the fire which destroyed Reeves furniture store in the August riots has been jailed for 11 ½ years.
Gordon Thompson admitted starting the blaze that destroyed the 140 year old shop in Croydon, south London.
The blaze cost over £3 million and caused significant danger to residents and firefighters.
Thompson started the fire by setting fire to a cushion in the store. Shortly after he was heard boasting about what he had done.
Thompson admitted arson and also three charges of burglary for which he got concurrent lesser terms.
Judge Peter Thornton told him: “This day was a bad day for Croydon and the people of Croydon. Perhaps the most shocking event was that the House of Reeves was set alight and burned to the ground, putting lives at risk. This is, was, a landmark store, a furniture store of the Reeves family business which had stood on the site for over 140 years, proudly giving its name to its location, Reeves Corner. You were about to bring all that to an end. This was a deliberate, wilful act of shocking, dangerous vandalism.” The judge said the Reeves family’s loss was priceless. “The trauma they have suffered is inestimable.”
Many people were left traumatised by the incident. Many had to escape from the fire with young children.
It is now evident that Thompson has 20 previous convictions, including one for violent robbery.
Arson suspected at Luton Mosque
Fire crews were called to the Bury Park Jamie Masjid mosque in Luton after a fire broke out on 2nd April.
It is thought that the fire was started deliberately and was caused by two large metal bins that were pushed up against a door and set alight.
Detective Constable Colin Knight said: “We’re keeping an open mind and appealing for witnesses. We don’t know at this stage what the motive was.”
Anwar Hussain, the mosque’s cultural secretary, said: “People are going to be very upset when they come for prayers,” he said. “But we will tell them to remain calm. The investigation is ongoing but my opinion is that it was deliberate. The police response has been very good, they will be checking CCTV footage from the cameras in the street, and we hope they will catch the culprits.”
An investigation into the arson attack is now underway.