Sleaford man charged with arson over fire at Lincoln County Hospital as A&E still closed

A 56-year-old man has been charged with arson recklessly endangering life following a fire at Lincoln County Hospital.

John Gillion Watson, from Sleaford, was arrested yesterday following the blaze which has closed the A&E department at the hospital.

He appeared before Lincoln Magistrates Court this morning and has been remanded in custody.

He is awaiting a date to appear before Lincoln Crown Court.

The fire started at around 3am on Tuesday morning (March 29) in the interventional radiology department, which hospital bosses say was "gutted".

No one was injured, but smoke damage also meant the emergency department and urgent treatment centre had to be closed, with patients being transferred to other departments.

The A&E remains closed, with bosses unsure about when it will reopen.

The chief executive of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Andrew Morgan, has said: "It is very hard to be precise about how quickly we can get the A&E back up."

The hospital's urgent treatment centre has also been closed as a result of the fire.