Suspect arrested after city centre fire

A suspect has been arrested after a fire in the car park of a city centre block of flats.

Emergency services were called to the Litmus Building, in Huntingdon Street, Nottingham, around 3.25am on Monday (29 April).

After investigations by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service and Nottinghamshire Police the incident is now being treated as an arson attack. 

Two vehicles were destroyed in the blaze and a further car was badly damaged.

Detectives have analysed CCTV footage in the area and carried out other local inquiries.

A 63-year-old man has now been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. He remains in police custody.

Detective Sergeant Al Prentice, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “After a joint initial investigation with our fire service colleagues we now believe this fire was started deliberately.

“Lighting any fire deliberately has the potential to cause harm, but to do so in a city centre location like this with people living above is extremely dangerous.

“Thankfully, the fire was rapidly brought under control and no one was hurt due to the efficient work of firefighters.

“We have now been able to arrest a suspect so I hope members of the community are reassured by this robust response from the emergency services.

“Our investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with any information or doorbell, CCTV, mobile phone or dash-cam footage which could help with our inquiries should get in touch.”

Station Manager and Fire Investigator, Richard Booth, said: “This incident saw a lot of disruption to the residents of the Litmus building and the wider community, and this arrest will now hopefully reassure them that we are doing everything, along with our colleagues at Nottinghamshire Police, to keep them safe.

“This arson attack could have had a severe impact on those nearby, and ultimately, it put lives at risk.

“Over 50 firefighters attended this incident, and they were able to bring the fire under control quickly to stop it from spreading, however it meant our resources were tied up from attending other incidents if they were to come in, which could have potentially been even more significant.

“Thank you to the community for their patience whilst we dealt with this fire yesterday and thank you to our partners for their help and assistance, which has led to this arrest. Hopefully, this shows individuals that setting fires deliberately does have serious consequences.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting incident number 42 of 29 April 2024, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.