New information on arson attack

More details have emerged about an arson attack reported in the Boar last week, which happened at a student house in south Leamington shortly after midnight on January 10.

The arsonists entered the fenced front garden of the house on Radford Road and wheeled a large rubbish bin onto the front doorstep, which they then set it alight. The rubbish bin was full and the fire spread quickly.

The students were alerted by what they described as “a loud thumping on the front door”. The residents, were either asleep or working when the incident happened.

A male student managed to climb out of a ground floor window to reach the yard and the remaining students poured water underneath the door when the fire spread.

Both the students and passers-by alerted the fire brigade, who arrived quickly. In the meantime a passing taxi driver attempted to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher but the flames were too strong.

There was no substantial damage to the property itself and no one was hurt in the incident.

The students were left with a charred front door, the melted base and wheels of the bin, and plastic melted onto outside cables. Some smoke and water also entered the house but caused no lasting damage.

The police arrived ten minutes later to take statements from the four students that were in the house at the time. Unfortunately, neither the residents nor any of the passers-by saw the perpetrators.

The students were told at the time that such arson attacks were not common in Leamington and that there were no previous incidents to link this one to.

An officer told the _Boar_ that they were not allowed to give any information of the investigation under the Data Protection Act, but it is thought that the police have no suspects or leads to follow up.

Although arson attacks may not be frequent in Leamington, students are often concerned about crime and safety, particularly in south Leamington.

Another student described how she and a friend had been walking home past Robbins’ Well in November when a man charged at them “like a bull” and knocked them to the ground. He was with a group of people who then all ran past, with one shouting “sorry, my mate’s drunk”.

Both women were bruised in the incident, which occurred around 1am. The student said that a security guard informed them that they had been watching the group on CCTV and that they should report the incident to the police.

When they arrived at the police station, some people were already in custody and the police said that they had been looking for them for some time. The student added that the attack was completely unprovoked, and that as a result she now no longer feels safe walking home unless she is with a group of people.

In reponse to drink-related crimes, the Warwickshire Police have set up the ‘Alcohol & Violent Crime Group’. As part of this, ‘Operation Acquit’ involves visits by police, council and other authorities to pubs and clubs to tackle violent crime, in an attempt to ensure that door staff are properly licensed and nobody is drinking under age.

However, some have questioned whether this is going far enough to deal with the problem.

The Students Union Communications Officer, Mike Pidgeon, told the Boar that he encouraged “any students that have been affected by crime to ensure that it is reported to the police in full”. He went on to say that any student affected “is, of course, free to contact our Student Advice Centre in SU HQ”.

Other students, mainly female, also reported not feeling safe walking home. One student said that she always keeps a personal safety alarm with her, which the police handed out on campus at the beginning of the year.

Another student said that she had often felt “intimidated late at night, especially south of the river”, and now always gets a taxi home after a night out. Warwickshire Police told the Boar that they advised students to “stay in well lit areas and be aware of those around you”.

However, Ched Messer, a student living on Brunswick Street in south Leamington, commented “I haven’t experienced any crime in Leamington and think it’s a safe place to live. Obviously it is not as relaxed as campus, but students seem a bit snobby about South Leamington. I think it’s fine”.

Official crime statistics may come as a surprise to many students. The Warwickshire Police report that the crime rate is higher in north (Clarendon Ward) than south Leamington (Brunswick Ward).

In November 2008, Clarendon had 35.3 crimes per 1,000 people, whereas the Brunswick had a rate of just 9.3. Of this, in Brunswick Ward, there were 1.5 violent crimes and 8.6 acts of ‘anti-social behaviour’ per 1000.

This compares favourably to Clarendon Ward, which has a rate of 5.6 for violent crimes and 17.8 for anti-social behaviour. These higher figures are thought to be due to the high number of pubs and bars in north Leamington, compared to the south.

The level of crime in Warwick district, which includes the whole of Leamington and Warwickshire, is described as “average” for the whole county. Warwickshire has “low crime levels”, with an average of 77 offences for every 1,000 people. Across England and Wales, the national average is 91 offences.