Man arrested following deliberate fire behind flat blocks

A man has been arrested following a deliberate fire behind a block of flats in Stoke-on-Trent this morning (Friday 3 May).

Officers went to Beveridge Close, Meir, just before 3.45am this morning after a fire broke out in the courtyard behind the buildings.

The fire quickly spread to nearby properties, prompting emergency services to evacuate those in the area.

Crews from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service put out the fire just before 6.45am.

Thankfully, no-one was injured.

Fire investigators later deemed the incident to have been started deliberately.

A 52-year-old man, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

He will be questioned about what happened in custody.

We are keen to speak to people who saw what happened, or those with CCTV or dashcam footage of the area at the time.

Call 101, quoting incident 73 of 3 May, or message us using Live Chat on our website.

You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.