Firm offers £5,000 reward after petrol bombings
Published: 11:00, 23 July 2009
Updated: 11:12, 23 July 2009
A haulage company is offering a reward of £5,000 for information, following petrol bombs attacks at two of its depots.
More than £36,000 damage was caused to vehicles belonging to Ardula Ltd in two separate incidents last month.
The first incident happened overnight on Thursday, July 2, when two petrol bombs were thrown into the firm’s lorry park in Laddingford near Paddock Wood, causing damage to four vehicles.
It is thought the offenders entered the premises on foot, at the back of the site at about 11.30pm.
The second attack took place at Ardula’s site in Street End Road, Chatham, a week later, when a caterpillar bulldozer was targeted by a petrol bomb.
The incident is thought to have taken place between 5pm on Thursday, July 9, and 6.45am the following day.
Martin Dace, managing director of Ardula Ltd, tells of the damage - and why a reward is being offered
Martin Dace, managing director of the firm, said: “Somebody must have a vendetta against us. We have no idea why it is happening. We don’t tend to have enemies within the business community. We get on quite well with everybody.
“Our concern, and the reason we are offering a reward, is that if the fire in our yard at Laddingford had been worse, there are other business on this industrial estate and it could have damaged them as well.
"And over at Chatham, if that fire had taken hold and started making explosions within the machine, then there could have been people or cars passing by and there are houses opposite.
“These people are not only damaging us, but they risk seriously damaging other people’s property and killing or maiming somebody. They need to be stopped.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 01622 604270 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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