Man held after Hartlepool night of chaos sees homes evacuated and cars torched
A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after eight vehicles were set alight across Hartlepool in a night of destruction. A police spokesperson confirmed today (Saturday 19) that the arrested man is on conditional bail whilst enquiries continue.
Terrified residents were left in fear for their lives after they were forced to flee their homes while emergency crews tackled a string of fires. The blazes were started in cars parked along several roads in a residential area of the seaside town in the early hours of Friday morning. Residents described running for their lives in the middle of the night as fires raged near their houses.
The 31-year-old is being quizzed by cops in connection to the night of chaos, which saw neighbours banging on windows and doors to raise the alarm and people ushering their children to safety in the Burn Valley and Foggy Furze areas of the town. Yesterday Cleveland Police said officers were called to "multiple vehicle fires" across the port town at around 1.30am on Friday. Families had been evacuated while fire crews worked to put out the blazes. Police have now announced that a man has been arrested in connection with what police called “a spate of arson incidents”.
District Commander for Hartlepool, Superintendent Martin Hopps, said: “We know these incidents have caused some concern for residents and officers will be in the area carrying out high visibility patrols today and over the weekend to reassure the public. I would urge anyone with information or any CCTV or dash cam footage that could help with our enquiries to get in touch with us.”
Hartlepool District Commander Superintendent Martin Hopps told local paper the Hartlepool Mail that the attacks appeared to be random and committed by one person. He said: “It has been dangerous in some instances. The vehicles are parked only a few feet away from their home addresses.”
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Residents were allowed to return to their homes after fire crews put of the blazes (Teessidelive)In a post on social media a resident described how one of the cars burned had belonged to her 19-year-old daughter. “She saved up and spent everything she has on that, at uni with a part time job,” she said. “She’s lucky she has us. Some poor people might not be able to get to work, get their children/family to a hospital appointment or worse,” she added.
Cleveland Police received reports of fires on Caledonian Road, Baden Street, Shrewsbury Street, Lansdowne Road, Osborne Road, and Brinkburn Road, all in Hartlepool. Katie Rees, who lives on Bader Street said her partner’s car was torched with neighbours coming to her rescue. "If we didn't have our neighbours, we would have been dead. It was shocking,” she told the Northern Echo.
"All I can remember is waking up, orange flames everywhere, black smoke everywhere, neighbours screaming 'get out the house!' Next minute, the door gets put through, we're trying to clamber down the stairs, can't get out the front door, got out the back door, run up the back lane through down onto the street, see our car in flames.”
Jonathan Brash, councillor for Burn Valley ward, said it was "outrageous" adding that the "level of criminality is absolutely disgraceful". He said he had been out speaking to residents to try and offer reassurance, describing locals as "scared" in the wake of the arson attacks. "I'm sick to death of it, it really is a case of enough is enough," he added. "People have a right to live in their homes, and in their community, and feel safe.”
Other residents reported hearing explosions from the burning vehicles with many locals expressing their alarm at the random string of arson. Officers are appealing for anyone with information or anyone with any relevant CCTV or dash cam footage to contact Cleveland Police on 101, quoting reference number 164288.
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