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Roger Pope and Chris Giddings clear out the storage building after the arson attack

VANDALS are being blamed for a second arson attack in less than a year on one of Pewsey Carnival's charity shop storage buildings.

The Cossor's Shop in Pewsey raises thousands of pounds a year towards carnival funds.

Roger Pope, who manages the charity shop in the Market Place, said the latest fire in a storeroom was a carbon copy of an attack early last summer.

A member of the public called out the fire and rescue service on Monday evening after seeing flames and smoke pouring from the storage building in Whatleys Yard off the High Street.

Before the firefighters could halt the blaze all the furniture stored in the shed had been destroyed.

The building contained a glass display cabinet, two tables, a sofa and two chairs.

They had been donated to the Cossor's Shop and would have been sold in aid of the carnival funds.

Mr Pope said there was nothing in the building that could have caused the blaze and it was suspected it had been started deliberately.

"It will cost the carnival £200-£300 because everything in the shed would have been sold with the profit going to carnival," said Mr Pope, as he and helper Chris Giddings tackled the job of clearing the charred remains from the building.

The same building was subjected to an identical arson attack last summer when, again, its contents were destroyed.

"We only cleared the place out a couple of months ago and now we have to do it again," Mr Pope said.

He appealed for any information that might lead to identifying the culprits.

Many old tools donated to Cossors Shop end up being sent to Africa. "We have sent 27 boxes for the charity Tools to Africa," said Mr Pope.

10:36am Thursday 27th March 2008

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