A 47-year-old man has been arrested following a blaze that destroyed two newly built homes in St Ives.
Cambridgeshire police confirmed today that the man, from St Ives, was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of arson, conspiracy to commit fraud and possession of an offensive weapon.
“He has since been bailed to appear at Parkside police station, Cambridge, on 6 January,” said a police spokesperson.
Picture by Terry Harris.
Police said the homes, at The How, Houghton Road, were “severely damaged” and both were well alight when fire crews arrived.
Nearby roads were closed due to the thickness of the smoke in the area.
Detective Inspector Nicola Lamport said: “Two new-build properties have been destroyed, meaning it will likely be hundreds of thousands of pounds.”
Picture by Terry Harris.
“There was also inconvenience for local people with the smoke and the resulting road closure.
“We are treating the fire as arson, so I am keen to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time and noticed anything at all suspicious.”
