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Police launch arson probe after blast in Hartlepool

Aug 7 2011 by Dan Warburton, Sunday Sun

COPS probing a gas blast at a derelict house in Hartlepool last night revealed they were hunting arsonists.

An investigation was launched after thieves stripped a boiler from an empty house on Sheriff Street, Hartlepool, on Friday and sparked a huge explosion.

Shattered glass struck a woman as it was hurled from the building and the roof was ripped off as smoke billowed into the air.

Emergency crews raced to the scene at just after 1pm and an exclusion zone was thrown-up around the site as firefighters brought the blaze under control.

Now detectives have said that the fire was started deliberately and issued a plea for information saying: “Don’t let them do this again.”

Det Insp John Green, of Cleveland Police, said: “We are still trying to establish the exact cause of the fire and how this led to an explosion of gas. We don’t believe the tenants were living there at the time.

“We do believe the fire was started deliberately and one cause was possibly due to a theft in the property, although this has yet to be confirmed and we are keeping an open mind.”

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