Police investigate fire booby-trapped with gas canisters

The gas canisters found beneath the burning mound of rubbish

Police are investigating after firefighters were called to put out a booby-trapped fire which they believe was set deliberately.

A Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service crew from Waterlooville was called to the rubbish fire in Denmead just after 8pm on Wednesday evening.

They found a mattress, leaves and rubbish were alight. However, while extinguishing the flames they discovered that there were four gas canisters placed at the bottom of the pile of rubbish.

Suspicions of arson were raised because two of the supposedly discarded LPG gas canisters were not empty - they still had gas inside them.

The fire was out within 15 minutes, but if the canisters had exploded the consequences could have been very severe, with a potential loss of life.

Hampshire Police are now dealing with the incident.