A man is still in hospital after falling through a skylight while checking to see if anyone was trapped inside a burning factory in Stoke.
Fire crews were called to the old John Tams factory in Longton at 02:55am on Wednesday (4th January) by three men who had seen smoke billowing from the building.
After climbing up onto the roof, a 21-year-old male fell through a skylight and suffered serious back injuries.
An investigation by Staffordshire Fire Service has revealed that the fire was started by arsonists.
Station manager Garry Goodwin urged members of the public not to put themselves in danger and instead call the fire brigade.
“The fire had the potential to turn into a much bigger fire but luckily we received the early warning and firefighters were able to bring the fire under control quickly.
“Starting fires deliberately is an incredibly dangerous thing to do; it endangers lives and ties up emergency resources.”