Arsonists in spate of attacks

From the archive, first published Tuesday 12th Feb 2008.

Firefighters in Bradford were forced to deal with a spate of arson attacks on vehicles across the city last night and in the early hours of today.

Fire crews from Odsal and Bradford received a total of six call-outs to deliberate fires beginning just before 8pm when a Mercedes was torched in Webster Place, Barkerend.

The incident, in which the low loader-style vehicle was gutted, occurred at around 7.50pm.

The vehicle is not believed to have been stolen as it still had a wheel clamp attached.

The second incident took place at around 9pm in the Burneston Gardens area of Buttershaw. A motorbike which was believed to have been stolen was set alight completely destroying the vehicle.

In the third incident, which occurred at around 10.20pm, a Vauxhall van was burnt out in the Wolstone Close area of Holme Wood. It is believed that the vehicle had been stolen, driven onto a field then deliberately burnt.

Then, in the early hours of this morning fire crews from Odsal were called to three incidents within the space of 40 minutes. The incidents were all in close proximity to one another in the West Bowling area.

The first arson attack occurred at 12.05am in Clipstone Street where a car, whose make was indistinguishable due to the fire, was gutted. Twenty-five minutes later at 12.30am in Murdstone Close a quad bike was found to have been set alight and destroyed. Ten minutes after that, at 12.40am, a HGV trailer in Collingham Avenue was burnt.

A spokesman for Odsal Fire and Rescue said that these last three incidents were carried out in a highly similar manner. He did not rule out the possibility that they were the work of the same individual or individuals.