Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service report more than 1,400 cases of arson

ARSONISTS have caused nearly 1,500 fires in a single year.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said the blazes were recorded in 2019.

A tweet from the county’s firefighters said: ‘Over 1,400 deliberate fire incidents were recorded last year in Hampshire alone.’

To help reduce incidents of arson, a statement on the fire service’s website warned people to close all windows when a house is unoccupied and to ‘not let rubbish accumulate and keep bins away from the house’.

Hampshire Fire & Rescue Arson Task Force gave 'live burn' demonstrations to the media and CSI staff from other public services in 2017. Picture:  Malcolm Wells (170922-8944)placeholder image
Hampshire Fire & Rescue Arson Task Force gave 'live burn' demonstrations to the media and CSI staff from other public services in 2017. Picture: Malcolm Wells (170922-8944)

The fire service also advised people to park vehicles in a well-lit place and to ensure the car is locked and all windows fully closed to avoid them being targeted.

Firefighters also urged residents to ‘report abandoned cars to the police’.

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