In the early hours of Saturday, May 31, a suspected arson attack devastated part of a neighborhood in Nailsworth, near Stroud, in the Cotswolds. Reported to police at approximately 3:25 a.m., the fire destroyed a shed and caused significant damage to nearby properties in the Lawnside area.
Firefighters quickly responded to the blaze, but the damage was severe. A local family faced the heartbreaking aftermath, with their garden reduced to ash and rubble. The children’s bedroom windows were shattered by the heat and have since been boarded up — fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.
Gloucestershire Police are treating the fire as a deliberate act. Damage includes fencing, windows, and the roofs of adjacent homes. Authorities urge anyone who witnessed suspicious activity between 1:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. on that morning to come forward.
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Additionally, police reported that a man and a woman were overheard near the scene around 6:30 a.m. Officers are appealing to residents to check their CCTV, doorbell cameras, or dashcam footage for any relevant information.
A Gloucestershire Police spokesperson said, “We have conducted house-to-house and CCTV enquiries and are urging anyone who has not yet spoken to us or who may have information to get in touch. Witnesses can submit information online by quoting incident number 58 of 31 May, or contact us via phone or anonymously through Crimestoppers.”