Prosecutions

A teenager has admitted starting a fire which destroyed a supermarket in Hampshire last month.

The 19-year old from pleaded guilty to two counts of arson, by setting fire to bread crates at the rear of the store. He is due to be sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on 20 August.

When crews arrived at the store on 7 July they found the single story brick building well alight. The roof of the building eventually collapsed and the fire was extinguished using seven jets, an aerial ladder platform monitor and six breathing apparatus.

A 37-year-old man who worked at the store was taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation.

A detective constable from Hampshire’s arson task force said: “Witness accounts and timely phone calls from the public to the emergency services have helped greatly with this investigation. Arson is the largest single cause of fire in the UK, leading to the loss of life, serious injury, and financial hardship in our communities. This case should send out a clear message to arsonists and the public that arson is a serious problem and arsonists will be caught and face the legal consequences.”