Five Ipswich vehicles set on fire in suspected arson

A man and teenager have been arrested after cars, a minibus and transit van were set on fire overnight in four locations near each other.

Suffolk Police was called by the fire service to reports vehicles had been set alight in the Gainsborough area of Ipswich, including a minibus at the sports centre, at 22:50 BST on Thursday.

Five vehicles had significant damage and some adjacent buildings were damaged, according to police.

A 24-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of causing arson with intent to endanger life and were taken into custody.

The fires included:

• Two vehicles in the car park at Piper’s Vale Academy school on Raeburn Road
• A car at the junction of Landseer Road/Clapgate Lane
• A transit van on Landseer Road
• A minibus in the car park at Gainsborough Sport Centre on Brazier’s Wood Road

Police said all the vehicles were parked and unoccupied, and no injuries had been reported, but officers remained in place at each location.

Some properties near the fires had to be evacuated while the fire service worked and road closures were in place.

The fires were extinguished and the closures lifted throughout the night.