Desborough Airfield fire started deliberately, say crews
A fire at a former RAF station that was burning for about a month was likely started deliberately, firefighters have said.Crews were first called to Desborough Airfield in Kettering just before 20:30 GMT on 20 March.Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said its operation was hindered because the roof of a hangar had only partially collapsed and there was a "significant" amount of carpet waste inside.On Thursday, a spokesperson said the scene was made safe and returned to its owner.
At its height, six crews attended, using water jets and an aerial pump to tackle the blaze.They were still extinguishing flames as recently as 17 April and had since been damping down hotspots.Area manager Neil Sadler said there was still smoke plumes coming from the site, but that there was no risk of these "small pockets of fire" spreading."This has been a complex and prolonged incident," he said.The service added: "With the evidence that is available, investigators have concluded that the fire was most likely started deliberately."
Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
Oxfordshire firefighters respond to blaze in nursery staff room
Firefighters have responded to a blaze at a nursey in County Council's Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to the incident at St Thomas Day Nursery, in Oxford, at 14:21 on Thursday adults and children had evacuated safely after the fire began in a staff room at the nursery, the fire service said three fire engines, from Rewley Road, Slade Park and Kidlington fire station, responded to fire, which has now been extinguished. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, the service added. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash children 'demand answers' from MoD
Children of those killed in an RAF Chinook helicopter crash in 1994 on the Mull of Kintyre have said they are "determined to get answers" from the Ministry of Defence about how their parents Major Gary Sparks, whose family is based in Hampshire, was among 29 people killed in the crash. His daughter Lucy Sparks, 33, said: "We need to get to the bottom of what happened."Campaigners want a public inquiry and documents sealed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for 100 years to be MoD said: "The Mull of Kintyre crash was a tragic accident and our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families, friends and colleagues of all those who died." Lucy Sparks was two years old when her father, who was serving with the the Royal Artillery, died in the crash. "I have no first hand memories of him," she said."Family photos are a treasure, through them and anecdotes from my older sister and mother I have been able to build up a picture of my dad." "Missing out on your dad being there for all those events in childhood and into adulthood is really hard, the grief will never go away." The crash on 2 June 1994 remains one of the RAF's worst peacetime losses of life. The helicopter was carrying leading security personnel from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to a conference at Fort George near Inverness, pilots accused of negligence over the disaster were exonerated 17 years year a BBC documentary highlighted safety concerns about the aircraft and revealed that documents relating to the crash would not be released until 2094. The solicitor representing the Chinook Justice Campaign, Mark Stephens, claimed there was enough evidence to convince the families that there was "a failure by the MoD to apply appropriate safeguards in order to protect the passengers and crew".He added: "That is why we are seeking a judicial review into the government's failure to hold a public inquiry - which the families have sought for more than a year."Lucy's sister, Esme Sparks, who was seven at the time of the crash, said: "We are furious that the government and the MoD is [sic] refusing to listen or to meet us." Speaking from her home in Preston Candover, near Basingstoke, Maj Sparks widow, Sue Angus, said: "I want openness and accountability. I want to know exactly what happened that night and I want to know why."The MoD said the closed records held at the National Archives contained personal information relating to third party individuals and the early release of that information would breach their data protection said it "takes the safety of all personnel extremely seriously, to ensure that our equipment operates at the highest standards we put safety right at the heart of our procurement activities".A spokesperson added: ""We have received a pre-action protocol letter from the Chinook Justice Campaign and are considering our response. "Therefore, it would be inappropriate to comment further."
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Peacocks terrorising village renowned for its Spitfire pilots history
Residents of a village famous for its Spitfire pilot training history have claimed that peacocks are attacking their cars. Hibaldstow, in North Lincolnshire, has found itself menaced by nearly 30 peacocks, with cars being attacked after some birds attempted to fight their reflection in the paint or polished bumpers. Gardens and graves have been damaged, while residents have complained that the birds make loud noises at anti-social times. RAF Hibaldstow, where many Second World War Spitfire pilots trained, closed in 1947 but the long runways are intact and the airfield is used by police as a skidpan, model plane enthusiasts and a skydiving business. Last June, the North Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre reopened there after a refurbishment, where visitors can explore the airfield command bunker, see military vehicles up close and join guided tours. The peacocks have been a part of village life since the 1960s, but now some residents are concerned about the increasing population. Les Gladwell, 75, a former shopkeeper in the village, recently opened his curtains and counted 18 peacocks in his garden. He said: 'They have absolutely ruined the garden, eating everything in sight, and they also attack my car. 'Because it's dark-coloured, the male birds see their own reflections in it and attack themselves. The pecking and scratching has caused a lot of damage. 'I often look out and see them surrounding the car with a couple sitting on top of it. I have to bang on the window with my shoes to scare them off. 'They are beautiful birds, and it's nice to see them strutting around the village for some, but it's become too much.' Sarah Filby said she kept a close eye on her five-year-old son when he went into the garden to play football. She said: 'When he was two, he found himself cornered by a peahen with chicks. They become very territorial and can be aggressive, so it was really worrying to see him trapped by them. 'I went out and managed to steer them away from him, and now he's a little bigger he's learning how to handle them himself. 'He goes out with his arms held wide and will usually manage to shoo them away, but I have to keep an eye on him and make sure he's safe. 'The numbers seem to have been growing year on year, and there's no doubt they can be a problem. 'They block the main road and drivers don't know what to do. They beep their horns at them, which just causes the peacocks to stand their ground and squawk back at the cars. 'We've had them wander into the house before, which was interesting. It's not easy to persuade a peacock they need to leave. 'I've spoken to environmental health about them, but they say they're wild birds, just like pigeons. I had to point out that they are definitely not just like pigeons.' David Stothard, a parish councillor, said could see the problems but did not think Hibaldstow would ever get rid of the birds. He said: 'There was a meeting in the village hall to discuss the issue, with one lady suggesting we needed to reduce the numbers, and it was attended by about 60 people. 'The conclusion was that the peacocks would be staying but she was welcome to move on if she wanted to.'
