A rubbish-bag fire outside Hitchin town centre’s Starbucks last night is being investigated as arson, police have now confirmed.
Police told the Comet they believed someone had deliberately set fire to a pile of rubbish bags outside the café on the corner of Market Place at some point from 12.30am onwards.
“The fire caused significant damage to the window, guttering and bird-spikes,” a spokeswoman for the Herts force said.
Hitchin firefighters were mobilised to the scene at 12.52am, and found the fire out on arrival.
The crew indicated afterwards that the poor locating of the rubbish had contributed to the blaze – adding that firefighters would be giving advice today to both Starbucks and nearby Pizza Express, which also last night had rubbish piled up outside.
Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting crime reference 41/17928/18.
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