Suspected arsons taken seriously, housing firm says

Garages on Merryhill Road in Bracknell owned by Silva Homes

A housing firm has reassured its residents it is taking multiple incidents of suspected arson "extremely seriously".

It comes after reports of five fires in the space of five months at Merryhill garages in Bracknell, a site owned by Silva Homes.

One resident said the issue was "getting out of hand", while another neighbour warned it was only a matter of time before someone was hurt.

Guy Hunter from Silva Homes said: “The safety of customers is our number one priority."

One incident on 31 July at 02:00 GMT involved flames tearing through two neighbouring garages on Hart Close, Bracknell.

Rafael Cayenne-Mensah, a resident who lives about 150m away, said he woke up smelling smoke and worried that the fire was in his property.

He said the issue was “getting out of hand”.

Residents said the garages had become a hotspot for fly-tipping and antisocial behaviour, with the site also set to be demolished and replaced with more housing.

Neighbour Brian Ackroyd said: “The only reason they’ve got that way is because Silva Homes has neglected them.”

He warned that if something was not done eventually somebody would get hurt.

Another resident, Kelly Hargreaves, claimed that "there’s nobody from Silva monitoring the garages", and that "when fly-tipping is reported, nothing is done".

Mr Hunter said: “The safety of customers is our number one priority. We share our customers’ concerns and are taking the fires at Merryhill Road garages extremely seriously.”

He said they were aware of two fires and have been increasing patrols of the area "to ensure the space is clear and safe".

Mr Hunter said residents should "continue reporting all fires and any anti-social behaviour" so Silva Homes and emergency services could "investigate and respond appropriately".