Arson sparks retail park fears (From This Is Wiltshire)

Arson sparks retail park fears

10:33am Thursday 7th September 2006 in

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ARSONISTS set fire to a pallet left at behind a store on a retail park in Trowbridge on Friday -- the latest in a spate of similar incidents.

People living near the Spitfire Retail Park off Bradley Road, say vandals are regularly gaining access to the site and not enough is being done to stop them.

John Fairbrother, who lives in Alderton Way, said: "I have chatted to my neighbours and we all agree that security at night should be stepped up.

"I am sure we could get further attacks by vandals and arsonists at any time and next time it could be an expensive disaster for us all."

The fire and rescue service were called to the retail park just after 4.30am after reports a fire had broken out behind the Carpetright and Curry's stores.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "A pallet was well alight at the rear of the Carpetright building and there was slight external damage to the building."

Residents say youngsters have been getting on to the site and causing problems by throwing items into the gardens of neighbouring properties and setting light to items left at the back of the stores.

Trowbridge town and west Wiltshire district councillor Graham Payne said: "They are getting in through the hedge and it is a problem on the site as a whole.

"Every one of these stores has a planning restriction that states they should not leave stuff out the back and you would hope they would be more alive to their responsibilities, not only to their store and their customers but to their neighbours."

A spokesman for West Wiltshire District Council confirmed complaints had been received to both the council's planning and environmental health departments.

She said: "A complaint was received by environmental health on Monday and an officer will be visiting Curry's to discuss this. Planning has received a complaint. It is an old planning application but it is being looked into."

There have been previous problems at the park with boy racers using it as a meeting place. Police, site agents F&C Property Asset Management, West Wiltshire District Council and park owners Friends Provident have been working together to tackle the problem over the past few years.

A spokesman for F&C Property said: "We have already increased security at the park and introduced more security patrols and somebody will be going down there to investigate further."

Curry's and Carpetright were unable for comment.