Boys to face no action over library fire, say police

Roose Library in Barrow was badly damaged in a fire last year

Three boys who were arrested after a library fire are to face no further action, according to police.

Roose Library in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, has remained shut since the blaze in May last year.

The boys were arrested soon after the fire and questioned on suspicion of arson.

No charges were ever brought, and Cumbria Police said the decision not to take action against them was "based on the evidence available at the time”.

Westmorland and Furness Council said the library had suffered "significant" damage, including to its books.

'Library is essential'

For the last 10 months, library users have been asked to use alternative facilities in the area, with the nearest being Barrow Library in Ramsden Square.

Simon Fell, the town's Conservative MP, has been lobbying the council over the closure of the library and last year launched a parliamentary petition calling for a full library service to be restored to Roose.

“Aside from being a place to borrow books, the library is essential for people requiring valuable services such as reading groups, talks or accessing the internet and a photocopier,” Mr Fell said.

“As excellent as Barrow Library is, for many it is too far to travel.”