Police launch an appeal for information following a surge in arson attacks across County Durham

Officers say that the majority of these attacks have been against unattended vehicles, but have also involved houses, businesses and bins.

In an effort to bring those responsible to justice, police are appealing to local communities to report any information that they have which could assist officers in their investigations.

Police say that since May, multiple arrests relating to arson have been made however they are after the finer details to piece together the circumstances of each attack and bring charges against those suspects.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Lawrence insists that no incident is dismissed and even the smallest piece of information could help police.

She said: “An investigation into each and every incident has been launched. Not a single attack is dismissed, and no report is ignored, which is why we’re encouraging anybody with even the smallest piece of information to get in touch.

“It may be that your CCTV picked up footage vital to an investigation, or that you’ve noticed people or vehicles acting suspiciously around the time of an attack.

“Since May we have made multiple arrests relating to arson, but what we need now are the finer details from the community that will allow us to piece together the circumstances of each attack and bring charges against suspects.

“We appreciate that reporting what you know to the police is not always easy, but an anonymous call to either ourselves or Crimestoppers could be the key to identifying those responsible for previous incidents, or to preventing another potentially devastating attack."

DCI Lawrence has also highlighted the consequences of committing arson – which could be far more devastating that just damage to property.

She added: “Make no mistake that once you start that fire, you have no control over where it goes next, and there is nothing you can do when it spreads to the next car along, or worse, to a house full of people.

“Even where no innocent parties are harmed, arson can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.”

Anyone with information can contact Durham Police on 101 or an anonymous report can be made to Firestoppers on 0800 169 558.

You can subscribe to this website and enjoy unlimited access to local news, information and puzzles online.

With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Simply click ‘Subscribe’ in the menu.