Arsonists damage park cafe in Batley

Fire crews from Dewsbury and Ossett were called to Wilton Park, on Bradford Road, at around 7.45pm.

Firefighters said that bins in a yard next to the cafe had been set alight and smoke had spread into the building.

Crew commander Darrell Sturgeon, from Dewsbury fire station, said: “It was definitely deliberate or malicious. There is no way that there was anything that would accidently ignite.

“There were some bins and plastic plant pots outside that appeared to have been deliberately set alight and that spread quite quickly to a decent sized fire.

“When we arrived smoke was coming from the roof and we were concerned that the fire might spread. But it was purely smoke that spread into the building, there were no flames.”

A police spokesperson said that the fire was being treated as arson and they are appealing for witnesses.

No-one was injured in the incident.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the police on 101 or, alternatively, call Crimestoppers anyonymously on 0800 555111.