Arson attack on unoccupied Telford home

Police are appealing for information following an arson attack on an unoccupied Telford home.

The incident happened at an address in Western Rise in Ketley between 2:30pm and 3pm on Bank Holiday Monday (29 August).

An ignited piece of paper was put through the letterbox, causing a fire in the porch of the property.

The smoke alarms were activated, which alerted a neighbour to the fire.

The neighbour immediately called the fire service and also attempted to extinguish the fire by pouring water through the letterbox.

West Mercia Police and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service are investigating the incident and are carrying out a number of enquiries, including looking at forensic opportunities.

A Telford Police spokeswoman said: "Due to the quick thinking actions of the neighbour, the fire was extinguished very quickly by the fire service, which resulted in a very small fire causing only minor damage.

"The incident happened on Bank Holiday Monday so a lot of people would have been off work and maybe stayed at home doing jobs around the house. We are hoping that some individuals who were at home saw or heard something that could help us with our enquiries. We would urge anyone with information to come forward."

Telford Police can be contacted on 0300 333 3000 or the anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service are urging the public to ensure that they have smoke alarms fitted to properties and regularly check them to ensure that they are working, this incident shows how the fire could have spread if the smoke alarm had not alerted neighbours.

1st September, 2011