Swindon charity shop forced to close following arson attack

Swindon charity shop forced to close following arson attack

A charity shop in Swindon has been forced to close after being hit by a suspected arson attack.

Crews from Wiltshire Fire And Rescue were called to the British Heart Foundation shop in the town centre just before midnight on Wednesday night (13th June), reports the Swindon Advertiser.

It is believed the fire was started deliberately as a wheelie bin was torched before being pushed towards the back of the store.

The delivery entrance to the outlet suffered significant damage, while the roof was also damaged.

British Heart Foundation area manager Ron Humphries expressed his relief that none of the stock was damaged.

“We are lucky the damage was not a lot worse and it was great the fire brigade got there pretty quickly to keep it contained,” he told the news provider.

“The store has been closed today because we have no power and obviously any loss of taking in donations is a big blow to us but we are hoping to be open as soon as possible.”

A ‘suitable and sufficient’ fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in England and Wales, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

If the fire risk assessment is deemed to be carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.

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