Dave Davenport
Guru
- Location
- Hampshire
Sometime last Wednesday night my next door neighbours recycling wheelie bin was set alight, it was in the alley at the back of our terrace and if it hadn't been for another neighbour seeing it and putting it out their garage would have gone up. The same night, a couple of miles away a car on a driveway was set alight destroying it and causing extensive damage to the front of the house.
About 11pm Thursday me and mrs d were cycling home from some friends, as we came into our alley a bloke was just walking away from some bins a couple of doors up from us. Just as we were going in our gate mrs d noticed flames coming from one of the bins, it was only just alight at the top and it was obvious it had only just started.
I went after the bloke we'd seen and caught up with him down the road. first he said he didn't know anything about it, he was 32 and wouldn't do anything like that, then he said he'd seen some kids near the bins, then he said he had seen it was on fire but hadn't tried to put it out because apparently he'd tried to put out a fire in a bin in the past and it had melted his trainers, and he was wearing his mates trainers and didn't want to ruin them! He then said I only thought it was him because he was wearing a hoodie and baseball cap. Also, several times he said 'I haven't got a lighter on me, it couldn't have been me'.
The local police station is nearby so I told him that's where we were going, he didn't even argue but then again I wasn't giving him much choice.
I rang the intercom outside and got the central control room somewhere, then stood there for 15 minutes watching police offices inside the station walking about etc. through the windows.
Whilst waiting, weirdly he started chatting to me;
Him; Where did you get your tattoos done?
Me; What? why are you talking to me, shut up 'til the police turn out.
Him; I was only trying to be friendly and make conversation
I then rang the intercom again and was told there were no patrols available, after a few minutes of 'I'm not standing here all night with this bloke' they said hang on, a patrol would be there within two minutes. Sure enough within a minute two officers came out of the station. One took him inside and the other stayed with me, as soon as he went in I could hear him saying that I was drunk and that I'd attacked him (so much for the friendly banter). Within 30 seconds I heard them arrest him on suspicion of arson. At this point mrs d turned up looking for me and said she'd but out another fire in some bin bags which were leaning against a neighbours fence. We both went in and gave statements, then they said they'd go round to our ally and take photos etc. but didn't need us so we went home and got to bed about 1pm. 15 minutes later we got a call saying could we go out to the ally.The two officers were there and had found three more bins that had been set alight but it hadn't caught, which they wanted to leave in our garden 'til forensics could get there the next day as well as a lighter. Next morning (Friday) they were doing door to door enquiries and I had a call to clarify something on my statement.......................and that's the last we've heard, the bins are still in my garden.
I'll update if anything happens!
About 11pm Thursday me and mrs d were cycling home from some friends, as we came into our alley a bloke was just walking away from some bins a couple of doors up from us. Just as we were going in our gate mrs d noticed flames coming from one of the bins, it was only just alight at the top and it was obvious it had only just started.
I went after the bloke we'd seen and caught up with him down the road. first he said he didn't know anything about it, he was 32 and wouldn't do anything like that, then he said he'd seen some kids near the bins, then he said he had seen it was on fire but hadn't tried to put it out because apparently he'd tried to put out a fire in a bin in the past and it had melted his trainers, and he was wearing his mates trainers and didn't want to ruin them! He then said I only thought it was him because he was wearing a hoodie and baseball cap. Also, several times he said 'I haven't got a lighter on me, it couldn't have been me'.
The local police station is nearby so I told him that's where we were going, he didn't even argue but then again I wasn't giving him much choice.
I rang the intercom outside and got the central control room somewhere, then stood there for 15 minutes watching police offices inside the station walking about etc. through the windows.
Whilst waiting, weirdly he started chatting to me;
Him; Where did you get your tattoos done?
Me; What? why are you talking to me, shut up 'til the police turn out.
Him; I was only trying to be friendly and make conversation
I then rang the intercom again and was told there were no patrols available, after a few minutes of 'I'm not standing here all night with this bloke' they said hang on, a patrol would be there within two minutes. Sure enough within a minute two officers came out of the station. One took him inside and the other stayed with me, as soon as he went in I could hear him saying that I was drunk and that I'd attacked him (so much for the friendly banter). Within 30 seconds I heard them arrest him on suspicion of arson. At this point mrs d turned up looking for me and said she'd but out another fire in some bin bags which were leaning against a neighbours fence. We both went in and gave statements, then they said they'd go round to our ally and take photos etc. but didn't need us so we went home and got to bed about 1pm. 15 minutes later we got a call saying could we go out to the ally.The two officers were there and had found three more bins that had been set alight but it hadn't caught, which they wanted to leave in our garden 'til forensics could get there the next day as well as a lighter. Next morning (Friday) they were doing door to door enquiries and I had a call to clarify something on my statement.......................and that's the last we've heard, the bins are still in my garden.
I'll update if anything happens!
