Two arrested over beach hut attacks

LONDON: A second teenager has been arrested in connection with a spate of burglaries and arson attacks on some of the most expensive beach huts in the UK.

Three beach huts were set alight and a further 30 were broken into during an incident at Hengistbury Head, Dorset, in the early hours of Saturday. There was nobody inside any of the buildings and no-one was injured during the incident.

Dorset Police said a 19-year-old man from Christchurch has been arrested on suspicion of arson and burglary and is currently assisting detectives with their inquiries.

Meanwhile, a 15-year-old boy from Bournemouth, who was previously arrested on suspicion of arson and burglary, has been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Detective Inspector Andrew Kennard, of Bournemouth CID, said: “Our investigation into this incident remains ongoing and I am still keen to hear from anyone who was in the area and witnessed what happened.

“If you have any information that may assist my investigation and have not yet spoken to police, please get in touch. We are continuing to work with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council to identify the owners of all the beach huts involved in this incident.

“I would like to renew my appeal to anyone who owns a beach hut that has been affected and has not yet been contacted by either the council or the police to get in touch.”

The beach huts, which have spectacular views of the Dorset coastline, regularly fetch up to £300,000 when they are sold.