Cherwell residents are urged to be on their guard as incidents of arson are on the rise across the district.And those involved in this type of crime are being warned of the possible consequences which can be anything up to a life sentence.
There is always an increase in arson cases throughout the summer, many of which involve domestic bins left out for collection.
Advice to householders is, where possible, to keep their bins secured for as long as possible before putting them out.
They should be accessible to bin crews any time from 7am on the day of collection and retrieved at the earliest opportunity.
Councillor George Reynolds, Cherwell District Council deputy leader, said: “The people who set these fires often view it as a prank.
“In future I’d like them to consider the possible consequences before they act. If the bin is close to a home a fire can easily spread, endangering the lives of everyone inside.
“Even if this is not the case, people can sometimes be injured trying to tackle bin fires near their homes.
“Fires set at business premises can wreck people’s livelihoods and cost huge amounts in repairs and replacement of equipment.
“And those responsible, when caught, rarely avoid a prison term.”
Since the beginning of June this year there have been 69 suspected arson reports. This compares with a figure of 79 between the start of June and end of August last year.
Inspector Neville Clayton, of Thames Valley Police, said: “Cherwell police are aware of an increase in the number of arsons across the area.
“These have been mostly bin and hedge fires which, although they appear minor, could easily have got out of hand and spread to adjacent premises with catastrophic consequences.
“A full investigation is always conducted at the scene of any fire in order to identify those responsible.
“Individuals who are arrested and charged with the offence of arson can expect to be treated severely by the courts and anticipate a custodial sentence.”
Anyone who has any information about individuals who are engaging in this type of activity should contact the police on 08458 505505.
