Concern follows 'at least' 15 arsons across Chichester, Bognor and Littlehampton

According to West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, at least 15 fires started deliberately involving public toilets, bins and skips were brought to their attention since the end of October.

One cluster of arsons took place in one day with the fire service being called to five blazes in public toilets in Chichester and Bognor Regis on October 20.

In the past month, another five fires were started in Avisford Park in Bognor Regis and further fires involving a bus stop on Bilsham Road in Yapton on October 30, and deliberate fires involving wheelie bins and skips in East Preston, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton.

Head of prevention at West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, Nicki Peddle called the rise concerning and suggested fireworks may have been the cause of some of the fires.

She said: “It is concerning to see a rise in the number of deliberate fires, especially in such a short space of time and involving public facilities.

“What is particularly concerning is that we know fireworks were used in at least one of these deliberate fires, and as we move into the New Year period I would urge everyone to consider the risks of messing around with fireworks.

“It might seem like harmless fun at the time, but a deliberately started fire can very easily get out of control and become a much larger fire.

“On some occasions, we were not called to attend these fires at the time, which means there was the potential for the fire to have burned for longer and caused further damage.

“I would urge members of the public to call 999 even if they think the fire is already out, so that we are aware of the incident and able to spot any trends that may be emerging.”

Chief inspector Jon Carter, police district commander for Arun and Chichester, said: “We work closely with the fire and rescue service and local authorities to seek to prevent such incidents, and ask local people to remain alert and report any suspicious activity to us on 999.

"Officers are deployed to deal with issues such as these in the area. Dispersal powers have and will continue to be used where proportionate, and where we identify offenders we will use the whole range of powers available to protect the community."

If you have concerns about a young person’s behaviour and believe they could be at risk of starting a fire you can contact West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service’s FireWise team on 0330 2222 515 or email [email protected].