Man arrested on suspicion of arson after 10-year-old boy badly burnt in fire in County Durham
A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson following a fire in which a 10-year-old boy was left with serious burns. The boy remains in hospital following the blaze at his home in Forth Close, Peterlee[1], in the early hours of Thursday, December 14. Just after 1.15am, a fire started in a wheelie bin and spread to the house, causing extensive damage to the upstairs flat, police say.
Two people were inside at the time – a 21-year-old man and his 10-year-old brother. Their father, who lived at the same address, was at work. Both were rescued by firefighters from County Durham[2] and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service and were taken to James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, for treatment.
The boy suffered extensive serious burns and, although his condition is no longer considered life-threatening, he is expected to require lengthy treatment for his injuries. He has since been transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle. The 21-year-old suffered minor burns and the effects of smoke inhalation.
One of the family’s two pet dogs also died in the fire.
Forth Close in Peterlee (Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
Following inquiries, police arrested a man in his mid-20s on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. He has since been released on bail for the offence. Durham Constabulary[3] detectives are now appealing for anyone with information which might help with the inquiry to come forward, as a matter of urgency.
Officers are particularly interested in anyone who saw anything suspicious or has dashcam footage from the area of Forth Close in the early hours of Thursday morning.
A fire broke out at a property on Forth Close in Peterlee (Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
Detective Chief Inspector Lindsay Banks-Brown, who is leading the investigation, said: “This was a young boy, who should have been safe in his family home, and whose life will never be the same again. It is an horrendous incident, but frankly it could have been even worse – we could easily have been dealing with a fatal house fire in which a child lost their life. “If anyone has any information which can help our enquiry, I would ask them to do the right thing and get in touch with us immediately.” Anyone with information is asked to call Durham Constabulary on 101 and quote incident 34 of December 14.
Join our Breaking News and Top Stories WhatsApp community
Join our Breaking News and Top Stories WhatsApp community[4] for all the latest news direct to your phone.
To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is choose which community you want to join, click on the link and press ‘join community’. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice[5].
References
- ^ Peterlee (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ County Durham (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ Durham Constabulary (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ Join our Breaking News and Top Stories WhatsApp community (chat.whatsapp.com)
- ^ privacy notice (www.reachplc.com)
- ^ CLICK HERE TO JOIN (chat.whatsapp.com)