GAZETTE & HERALD: Police have set up a special task force to combat the activities of teenage firebugs believed to be behind a spate of arson attacks in Chippenham.

A family of six narrowly escaped death two weeks ago in an attack on a home in Malmesbury Road, where youths are suspected of stuffing burning paper through the letterbox.

And just days ago a Chippenham boy was treated in hospital for minor injuries suffered when youngsters set him alight.

Now the police are in a race against time to combat the escalating menace before the summer brings dry weather, increasing the amount of damage the fires can cause.

Acting Sergeant Mark Gale said special uniformed and plainclothes patrols will now target areas in the town where the arsonists, aged between 13 and 15, have been active.

"We have got nothing to link anyone person or group of people, but it seems to be the up and coming culture of youngsters to carry matches, lighters and aerosols and play with fire," he said.

"We are investigating why these incidents are happening now and hope to bring them to a successful conclusion before serious damage or loss of life."

Police officers say gangs of youngsters aged between 13 and 15 are to blame for seven blazes in the town within the last 12 months and a further nine suspicious fires, which have caused more than £10,000 of damage.

Last week a youth was arrested after trees and bushes in Sydney Wood Court were set alight, and two days before a pile of burning boxes, stacked against the back of a building in Bumpers Farm Industrial Estate, caused hundreds of pounds of damage to a wall.

Avon Reach, at the bottom of Monkton Park has been the scene of several incidents and on February 22 a wheeled bin, packed with rubbish, at the side of the building was set ablaze causing external damage to the offices of Knightstone Housing.

Sub officer Dave Jacomb from Chippenham Fire Station said children were spotted loitering in the area before the blaze and said that it could have been much worse if flames had spread into the building.

Youths are also suspected of pulling down an electrical cable from the ceiling of Emery Gate underground car park on February 17 and setting it alight, in what police officers described as 'a potentially devastating fire.'

Sgt Gale said most of the incidents occurred at night and said a 13 and a 15-year-old boy have been arrested in connection with the fires, while another two youths were on the wanted list.

This week, police revealed that paper of the same type used in the Malmesbury Road arson, was also pushed burning into a postbox, near to the house.