Fire warning to Devizes holiday youths (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Fire warning to Devizes holiday youths

8:20am Thursday 30th July 2009 in

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Police have warned that minor arson attacks in Devizes could end in tragedy.

Sgt Ian Thomas was speaking after firefighters were sent to the play area and garages behind Owen Close where paper had been set on fire and the flames spread to fence panel at lunchtime on Tuesday.

Fire officers dowsed the flames before they spread to the garages, but Sgt Thomas said the next time things might not turn out quite so well.

He said: “With the onset of the summer holidays officers in my section are increasing their patrols in the area.

“There has been an increased number of calls of this nature and it is causing us some concern. If the fire got out of hand the consequences could be unimaginable.

“It only takes an accident and the responsible person or one of his mates could end up with serious injuries. We have been working closely with the fire brigade over this.”

A mother who lives near the play area in Owen Close and asked not to be named said: “We have had an ongoing problem in the past few weeks with fire damage in the park. The equipment and the soft Tarmac have been set on fire and broken glass appears in the play area almost every night.

“Someone got on top of the garages in Forty Acres Road and set fire to trees. The garages back on to people’s back gardens and if a fire took hold it could spread quickly”

Susan and Andrew Bevan-Witts, who also live in Owen Close, said things had been quiet over the past few months.

Mrs Bevan-Witts said: “Then just at the weekend, it started getting noisy at night. After midnight there was laughing, shouting and singing going on in the play area. You don’t mind noise during the day, but at night it is a different matter.”

Pip Flowers, commander of Devizes Fire Station, said: “Minor events like this can have serious consequences and I would advise all parents in the area to speak to their children about fire safety.”

A spokesman for Sarsen Housing Association, which owns and runs the play area, said: “We have been made aware of some recent incidents of anti-social behaviour in the garage area next to the park. “Obviously such behaviour is unacceptable and we are working with the neighbourhood policing team and residents.”

Sarsen is also running activities for children during the holidays.