Arsonists hit Market Hall

Arsonists targeted Shrewsbury’s Market Hall today causing a blaze in a store room which led to hundreds of people being forced on to the streets as dozens of shops were evacuated.

Five fire engines, the incident commander and aerial ladder platform were sent to the town centre shortly after 10.35am after the fire was discovered in a third floor room.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue head of fire prevention Mike Ablitt said the fire may have been started by children.

He said: “We are very concerned about it as it is the school holidays and we believe it may have been a child that started it.

“We have got such a serious arson attack occurring right at the very beginning of the summer holidays.”

Fire bosses had to call on retained crews from Shrewsbury, Tweedale and Baschurch, and 35 firefighters were involved.

Shops underneath the Market Hall in Claremont Street were evacuated and roads around the building closed.

Incident commander Pete Hawkins, Station Officer at Shrewsbury, said: “In the store room there’s Christmas decorations and some cardboard and plastic.

“The fire started there. It was a difficult fire because of the limited access to the third floor.”

Bob Gray, assistant manager at Sue Ryder Care in Lower Claremont Street, said it was the third time his store had been evacuated since April.

Darrel Vince, of Mystical Daze and Creative Balloon, said: “We were all outside and there were four to five fire engines. There was a bit of smoke coming from the roof.”

Richard Ewels, spokesman for West Mercia Police, said: “The fire service requested police assistance to manage traffic control. Within a matter of minutes it was established that no-one was trapped.”

Two further engines were called to AMF Bowling in Brixton Way after an electrical fault left parts of the centre smoke-logged shortly after 11.30am. Up to 20 people were told to leave the premises.

Mark Temple, deputy manager of AMF, said it was hoped it would reopen once an engineer had been to isolate the fan and prove to the fire service it was safe.

By Rebecca Lawrence and Pam Griffin