Boy, 14, admitted he had 'just set a yard on fire again' after second arson attack on Peterborough flat

A teenage boy – who admitted on social media he had “just set fire to a yard again” – after a second arson attack on a Peterborough flat in less than a month, has been sentenced.

The 14-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had written the message on Snapchat following the blaze at the flat in Stagsden, in May.

The boy has now been sentenced after admitting two arsons.

Detective Constable Dylan Lenton , who investigated, said: “Arson is a serious crime which can have tragic consequences.

"For this young man, I hope he learns his lesson and the sentence imposed will help steer him on a better path in future.”

Fire started on mattress

Cambridgeshire Police said the boy was arrested on 21 May after a fire was reported at flat in Stagsden, Orton Goldhay – the second in less than a month.

Police were alerted to the first fire on the afternoon of 26 April after a dog walker called the fire service reporting they had seen smoke coming from the rear of the property.

It was identified the fire had been started on a mattress in the centre of a bedroom and initially believed it could have been accidental from a cigarette butt.

When the occupant told police they had not been staying at the flat and it must have been started deliberately, an investigation was launched.

Detectives were carrying out enquiries in the Stagsden area on the evening of 21 May when they came across the fire service already in attendance at the second blaze at the flat.

Enquiries led detectives to the boy, resulting in a visit to his home address in Orton to discuss the allegations.

He was arrested after he jumped out of a window in an attempt to avoid officers and was further arrested after he spat at one of them.

While in custody, he punched another police officer and flooded a custody cell, resulting in further arrests for assaulting an emergency worker and criminal damage.

A download of his mobile phone showed a Snapchat message on the afternoon of 21 May, 30 minutes after the fire started, claiming he had “just set a yard on fire again”.

He was charged with two counts of arson with intent to endanger life, however he pleaded guilty to lesser offences of arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered, which was accepted in court.

He also admitted two counts of assaulting an emergency worker and criminal damage.

The boy appeared at Huntingdon Youth Court on Wednesday (12 July) where he was sentenced to a 12-month Youth Referral Order – the first community sentence given to most first-time young offenders, requiring them to attend a youth offender panel made up of two members of the local community and an advisor from a youth offending team, where they will agree a contract of certain commitments.

He must also pay £40 compensation to each of the assaulted police officers.