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Adam Bannister is a contributor to IFSEC Global, having been in the role of Editor from 2014 through to November 2019. Adam also had stints as a journalist at cybersecurity publication, The Daily Swig, and as Managing Editor at Dynamis Online Media Group.
January 15, 2015

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Triple Whammy as Ram Raider Starts Three Oxford Fires

Three blazes in south Oxfordshire are being linked to the same suspect.

Witnesses have reported seeing a car being driven into a funeral parlour and later the foyer of a council office building, over which a 47-year-old man has been arrested. He is also being questioned about another fire at a thatched cottage, which along with the funeral parlour blaze was reported only nine minutes before the office fire.

South Oxfordshire District Council’s headquarters in Crowmarsh Gifford, near Wallingford appear to have been effectively destroyed, with the ceiling partially collapsed.

Gas canisters exploded at the site, according to witnesses, suggesting the car was intended to act as a automotive bomb.

Another witness described a gas canister being thrown through the funeral parlour’s smashed frontage.

Eyewitness Karl Mitchell-Shead said: “The foyer at the centre of the building looked like the most damaged section, there was quite obviously the remnants of a vehicle there and it was quite obvious that was where the fire started.

“Probably 50% of the building was totally devastated by the time I got there at 7.30. Glass was popping, there were a number of small explosions inside, it was thoroughly alight.”

In a statement, Thames Valley Police said: “At this stage the police investigation is focusing on all three fires being linked and are believed to be suspicious.

“It is believed that a vehicle collided with the South Oxfordshire District Council building prior to the fire. There are cordons in place at all three locations and residents and motorists are asked to avoid these areas.

“Nobody has been reported injured at this time as a result of these fires; however, following these fires the structures of the buildings affected are being examined for safety.

“A 47-year-old local man has been arrested on suspicion of arson and is currently in custody. This is being investigated as a criminal act and is not thought to be linked to any terrorist activity.”

It is understood that the cottage and funeral parlour are adjacent to one another and less than a mile away from the council building.

 

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