Suspected arsons at nature reserve 'quite scary' say residents

The landscape at Bourne Valley Nature Reserve was damaged by the fires

A spate of suspected arson attacks at a nature reserve have been described as "quite scary" by residents.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service crews were called to Bourne Valley Nature Reserve in Poole, Dorset, on the evening of 23 May.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Andy Cole said there had been an increase in fires in the area in recent weeks.

He said since 1 April there had been 21 fires at the nature reserve, most of which were deliberate.

"We need to stop it before we have a really big fire and someone gets hurt," he said.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Andy Cole said the continued arson could mean a "delayed response" for others

One resident of the area, Richard Utton, 39, from Poole, said the continued fires were "frustrating".

"It's quite scary how many are happening in such a short space of time," he added.

Another resident, Pauline Carter, 49, said: "They seem to be getting closer to our houses - they seem to be here almost everyday now.

"The last thing I want to be doing is evacuating my home."

Community support officer Victoria Palmer said the public should let the police know if they see anything

Mr Cole said the service was working with police to identify the "local youths" suspected to have caused the most recent blaze.

Victoria Palmer, a local community support officer for Poole Neighbourhood Policing Team, said the fires were criminal offenses and the department "will be taking it seriously".

"We will be looking at a multi-agency approach. We have so much wildlife here and we want to protect it", she added.

The fire service has issued an amber wildfire alert, which means they could spread quickly due to dry conditions.

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