Armed Police arrest man in Bracknell after fire at flats
Police say a man has been arrested on suspicion of arson
Police are appealing for witnesses to an arson in Bracknell (17/8).
An offender doused themselves and the contents of a flat in Moordale Avenue in fuel before setting fire to the soft furnishings at around 7pm.
Officers attended the scene along with Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, who extinguished the fire.
Armed officers were also deployed due to the potential risk the offender posed and to provide additional options to resolve the situation.
A 32-year-old man from Bracknell was arrested on suspicion of attempted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. He remains in police custody.
No one was injured but the block of flats was evacuated for the residents’ safety. Some residents could not return to their properties due to the damage and the local authority is arranging alternative accommodation.
Detective Inspector Stuart Streeter said:
“I am appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information about this offence to please come forward.
“Fortunately, nobody was injured by the fire; however, this took place in a residential area so it could have been much worse, and some people have been unable to return to their homes yet.
“I understand there may be some concern caused by the nature of the incident and our response but please be assured there is not thought to be any further risk to the wider public and an armed deployment is not unusual in these circumstances.
“If you have any CCTV footage in the area or any dash-cam footage if you were in the area around the time, I’d also ask that you check any recordings in case it has captured something that could assist our investigation.
“To contact us, call 101 or make a report on our website, quoting reference number 43230368645.
“Alternatively, you can provide information anonymously to the independent charity, Crimestoppers, by calling 0800 555 111 or via its website.”