Arson probe near old Southsea casino - update
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Fire crews from across the region raced to the derelict building on Osborne road at around 5pm. Several police cars and ambulances also attended to support the incident as the fire was put out just before 8pm, as reported.
An arson probe was launched into the blaze which caused “significant damage to the first and second floors”, according to the fire service.
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Hide AdAn “arson alert” sign has been placed outside the building which reads: “If you have any information about this incident or acts of deliberate firesetting contact Hampshire Arson Task Force on 02380 626743.”
The owner of the site, Brassfile Ltd, subsequently said the fire happened in a shop next to the old casino and revealed that drug paraphernalia was found nearby.
A week on from the fire, though, police have yet to arrest anyone. Enquiries remain ongoing into the incident.
A police spokesperson said previously: “We were called just before 5.40pm on Tuesday to a report of a fire at a derelict building on Osborne Road. Nobody was injured.
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Hide Ad“The incident is currently being treated as arson and we are working alongside the fire service to establish the full circumstances. No arrests have been made at this time.”
A fire service spokesperson previously said there wasn’t a formal investigation into the fire “due to limited safe access into the building”, while a “number of other potential risks meant they weren’t able to excavate it, and it was just a case of looking in through a window”.
But the spokesperson added: “(The fire service) has recorded it as being human act, which could be accidental or deliberate. They also put some arson reduction signs in the area. There was significant damage to the first and second floors.”
The fire service said after the blaze: “Crews from Southsea, Cosham, Fareham and Havant used jets and an aerial ladder platform vehicle to tackle the flames. The fire was extinguished just before 8pm.”