Moment three hooded arsonists set fire to Italian restaurant causing £26,000 in damage – as they filmed the blaze on their phones before running away laughing
- Three suspects spotted filming fire before building became engulfed in flames
- Blaze caused around £26,000 in damage around Tosca restaurant in Shoreham
- Police have today released footage of the incident in early hours of March 26
- The CCTV shows debris being thrown from building due to ferocity of the flames
This is the moment three hooded arsonists set fire to an Italian restaurant, causing ££26,000 of damage – as they filmed the blaze on their phones before running away laughing.
Motorbikes, fridges and furniture were destroyed in the fire, which caused around £26,000 worth of damage around the Tosca Italian bar and grill in Shoreham, West Sussex in the early hours of March 26 earlier this year.
CCTV footage released today shows the three hooded suspects climbing onto the roof of a bin storage building – dragging with them a sheet to help start the fire.
One of the backpack-wearing group is then seen to film the fire as it begins to take hold, while a second had a cigarette hanging out of their mouth as they threw fuel on the blaze.
The footage then shows debris being thrown from the building due to the ferocity of the flames.
Sussex Police has issued the footage as part of a public appeal to track down the suspects.
One of the three hooded arsonists was spotted on nearby CCTV dragging a large sheet into the building
The suspect then threw the sheet into the bin shed, before the fire began to spread rapidly and cause thousands of pounds of damage
The three suspects stood outside the building for a short period while the fire erupted, before fleeing the scene
One of the three hooded suspects could be seen filming the fire on his mobile phone as it began to spread
One of the three boys police have appealed to the public for help identifying in relation to their probe
The three suspects are understood to have accessed the area by climbing onto the roof of a bin storage building
Police have released a number of stills as they appeal to the public as part of attempts to identify the hooded group
A spokesperson for the force said: ‘Police have released CCTV of a deliberate fire at a restaurant in Shoreham in a bid to identify those responsible.
‘The footage captures the blaze in a bin storage area at the rear of Tosca, in High Street, which occurred in the early hours of March 26.
‘Three people are seen to climb onto the roof of the building, before jumping down and entering the bin store and setting fire to it.
‘A number of items including motorcycles, fridges and furniture – as well as the building itself – were destroyed, causing approximately £26,000 worth of damage.’
Debris was thrown from the building into an alleyway, such was the ferocity of the fire started by the three suspects
The blaze could be seen spreading from access points into the building, before debris began to be thrown onto a pathway outside
One of the suspects initially walked away from the area, before returning to look at the fire
The three boys can be seen stood outside the building after starting the fire in March earlier this year
‘Anyone who recognises any of the suspects in the footage or has any information about the arson can report it online or via 101, quoting crime reference 47220054271.’
Source: Read Full Article
