Town suffers four suspected arsons in an hour

Fire crews believe four fires within a mile in the early hours of Saturday are linked and were started deliberately.

Crews in Market Drayton, Shropshire, were called to Elm Drive, Portland Drive and Longslow Road between 00:20 and 01:15 BST.

All four fires involved bins, and Shropshire Fire Service is appealing for information and doorbell or CCTV footage in relation to the incidents.

The service said police had been informed. The BBC has contacted West Mercia Police for comment.

In a post on Facebook, Market Drayton Fire Service said a crew was first called to a bin fire on Longslow Road, near the primary school.

When returning from this incident, they were sent to a second incident on the same road, where two wheelie bins were found alight, with fire damage also found to a garden shed.

Following this, another incident was reported on nearby Portland Drive, where two wheelie bins were destroyed by fire. It had also damaged a fence, two garages and two vehicles.

Another fire was subsequently reported on Elm Drive, involving wheelie bins and a vehicle, and was attended by a fire crew from Hodnet.

"All of these fires are believed to be linked and started deliberately," the service said.

"If you have any information, doorbell or security camera footage that may help with investigations please call 101 to report it."

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