Man arrested on suspicion of arson after spate of bin fires in Peterborough left restaurant damaged

A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a spate of bin fires including one that spread to a restaurant in Peterborough city centre.

The 55-year-old man was arrested after fire crews were called out to eight incidents in the early hours of December 29 with one of the bin fires setting light to the rear of a restaurant in Cathedral Square.

The fire service was initially alerted at 2.30am on Thursday to a fire in an alley next to a pub on Cowgate.

Crews were then called to another six fires around Cathedral Square, King Street and Church Street.

A fire service spokesman said: “The most significant fire was at the back of a restaurant on Cathedral Square with the fire spreading to the building, which required an extra fire engine from Stanground.

“The crews were back at their station by around 7am after leaving the area safe with the police.”

“Arson is a serious crime and can have severe consequences for those that start a fire, no matter how big or how small it is.

“Our firefighters were needed for several hours last night to tackle these incidents, which meant they were unavailable to respond to other emergencies.”

A police spokesman said: “We were called at 6am on Thursday with reports of a man attempting to set fire to bins in and around Queensgate Shopping Centre and city centre.

“Officers attended and a 55-year-old man, of no fixed address, has been arrested on suspicion of arson and remains in custody.”

Anyone with information should call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.