Three cars and the contents of a skip were deliberately set on fire on a Telford housing estate in a night time arson attack.
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service’s fire crime investigation officer Derek Taylor has appealed for information about the double fire strike on Brookside in the early hours of the morning.
A resident dialled 999 to first alert police and fire officers to the first blaze at Brereton just after 2am on Wednesday (April 7) when a line of three cars were well alight. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus put the fire out but a Citroen Saxo car was destroyed and a Peugeot and a Renault, parked either side, were seriously damaged.
Tweedale firefighters had just successfully dealt with the situation when they were immediately called out to another suspicious fire in nearby Brindleyford where a skip fire was raging. They put out the flames with a hose reel jet.
Risk Reduction Officers from the fire service have delivered leaflets to 50 residents living in the area to warn them about the incidents and to give fire safety and fire prevention advice.
“These attacks were deliberately carried out on a residential housing estate and were very near to homes where people were sleeping. If the fire had spread this could have been an extremely serious incident. We do appeal to anyone who may know who has done this to contact police or Crimestoppers,” said Mr Taylor.
“We are working with West Mercia Police and if anyone has any information can they contact them on 0300 333 3000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
The fire service give this advice to reduce the risk of arson to your premises and property:
- Secure all property – close ground floor windows, lock doors, garages, and sheds.
- Put out rubbish for collection as late as possible and certainly not overnight.
- Identify possible entry routes for intruders. Consider what can be done to prevent such access – lock gates etc.
- Store flammable materials in an appropriate container and lock away securely.
- Consider external security measures – e.g. lighting.
- Be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police or Crimestoppers.
