Gang spread fires across borough

By Elaine Okyere

A gang of firestarters is believed to have gone on a late night rampage through Harrow.

Fire crews had a busy night after seven fires, in bins, skips and even a gas main, were started in the early hours of this morning (Monday).

Residents of Charlton Road, Kenton, had to be evacuated from their homes after the gas mains box outside their house was set alight.

A family and two of their next door neighbours were led to safety as a precaution.

Fire fighters had to stay at the scene for three hours whilst they waited for the gas board to arrive and switch off the mains before they could tackle the small blaze. No-one was injured at the scene.

Fire fighters believe one person or group were causing the incidents which all took in the space of an hour.

The first blaze occurred at Winchester Avenue, Kingsbury, at 1.42am when a skip was set alight, this was followed by rubbish and bins being set alight at Queensbury Station ten minutes later.

The suspects then moved on to Queensbury Circle Parade, Stanmore, at 2.15am and Chichester Court, Stanmore, at 2.20am setting on fire more rubbish and bins.

A fire engine and the police were called to two incidents in Glebe Road, Kenton, to reports of a group of youths setting waste on fire at 2.50am.

Barry Marsh, red watch manager at Stanmore Station, in Honeypot Lane, said the incidents were quite unusual.

He said: "It is too much of a coincidence for it not to be one person or group.

"Other stations had to cover our area as we were at the gas mains fire for three hours so we were unavailable to go out to other more serious fires."