Arsonists torch vacant council house

Crews from Wigan and Hindley tackled the flames at the vacant property on Heyford Road, Kitt Green, in the early hours of this morning (Sunday December 17).

Three engines spent more than an hour dousing flames at the house after someone broke the window and lit the fire inside. The crews arrived at around 3.30am.

Watch manager Craig Cubbins told Wigan Today: "If people are going round doing this it's going to cost the taxpayer a lot more money. Not only is it costing money now but it's wasting valuable resources.

"Now when someone needs a place to live it's going to take much longer to get them off that list. The council will need to go in and redo it all. On top of that, fire fighting resources are quite thin. This is time when we could have been deployed elsewhere."

The firefighters entered the property wearing breathing apparatus and used hose reels, lighting and fans to put the flames out and secure the building.

Anyone who has any information about the fire should contact police on 101.