19-year-old arrested on suspicion of arson following fires at Acorn Shipyard, Gas House Road, Rochester
Published: 16:00, 16 November 2016
A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of arson following a spate of fires at a shipyard.
The 19-year-old from Rochester was arrested on Monday after the latest blaze which destroyed the interior of a 40 foot barge.
Firefighters and police officers have been called to five fires at Acorn Shipyard in Gas House Road, Rochester within the last three months.
On Sunday, September 4, thick plumes of black smoke could be seen billowing from a single storey building and a cylinder detonated causing an explosion.
And then on Wednesday, October 26, 30 firefighters were needed to tackle a major warehouse blaze. The huge inferno was captured on camera from the other side of the river, and smoke could be seen for miles around.
This Sunday, a barge moored at the yard caught fire and firefighters spent four hours tackling the blaze.
There have also been two car fires at the yard, one between Friday, September 9 and Monday, September 12 and the second on Wednesday, September 28.
The teenager has been released on conditional bail pending further enquiries until Friday, December 16.
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Clare Freeman