Another arson attack at derelict houses in Cromwell Road, Peterborough

A row of derelict houses in Peterborough city centre were struck again by arsonists.

A series of fires have been started this year at the homes in Cromwell Road, just yards away from the Queensgate Bus Station.

The latest arson attack happened just after 2.30am on Thursday, December 15.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “On Thursday (15) at 2.36am, crews from Dogsthorpe, Stanground, Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade, Yaxley, and the turntable ladder form Cambridge were called to a house fire on Cromwell Road, central ward.

“Crews arrived to find the first floor and roof space of a derelict property well alight.

"Wearing breathing apparatus, firefighters used hose reels and jets to get the fire under control.

“Crews extinguished the fire and left the area by 4.45am.

“The cause of the fire was believed to be deliberate."

The houses, which are owned by Peterborough City Council have been a magnet for criminal and anti-social behaviour in recent months, with the council boarding up the buildings and moving on squatters.

After a blaze in November, Central Ward councillor Mohammed Jamil said: ”We have people staying in B&Bs and hotels because they don’t have homes, which costs the council money, and we are not using the housing stock we already have. These are good homes, that were built to last.

"When they were boarded up, it did not look good for the city – it is one of the first things people see as they come in, and it looked awful."

Following the blaze in November, the city council said a review was taking place to find out whether the homes should be demolished, or whether ‘it was viable’ to bring them back into use.

A spokesperson for Peterborough City Council said: “We were notified that another fire had taken place in Cromwell Road at an empty property and that the fire had been put out.

“Once notified, we raised a job for contractors to secure the fence line to the front of the building, and to re fit and extend the fencing fixed to the building in order to secure the site.

“Our Strategic Property team are currently looking at long term options including both demolition and refurbishment.