Children believed to be behind spate of fires in Worksop

One of a spate of secondary fires believed to have been started by children in Worksop in September.
Cars have been torched and playgrounds set alight. Credit: Nottinghamshire Police

Children are thought to be behind dozens of arson attacks on parks, cars, and bins in the same town in a month.

Fire crews attended 64 deliberate fires in the Worksop area in September.

Two 11-year-old boys were interviewed by police about an arson attack at Rainbow Park in Manton, which caused £50,000 of damage.

Three suspects were arrested after a car was set on fire earlier this week.

Nottinghamshire Police said they were doing "everything we can" to find those responsible.

Bassetlaw District Council has pledged to work with the Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service and Nottinghamshire Police to target anti-social behaviour.

Firefighter Paul Mitchell, who is based at Worksop Fire Station, said: "Deliberate fires cause considerable damage to the environment, but it also takes us away from dealing with other emergencies."

Insp Hayley Crawford, District Commander for Bassetlaw, said: "Deliberate fires can have utterly devastating consequences and put not only those setting them at risk but innocent members of the public and our emergency service colleagues."

Cllr Lynne Schuller, Bassetlaw District Council's Cabinet member for health and wellbeing, added: "Not only are these fires having an impact on our local community by damaging facilities like play parks, but they are also taking up the valuable time of our emergency services.  

"There is also real potential for those involved to be injured."

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