A teenager who admitted starting a fire that tore through dozens of lorry trailers at business premises in Peterborough, causing more than £750,000 worth of damage, has been handed a community order.

Kian Setchfield, now 19, admitted committing arson at Hotpoint’s base in Fletton almost five years ago when he was 15 years old.

Emergency services were called at about 7pm on 29 August 2019 following reports of a blaze, which initially was thought to have caused about £2m worth of damage to 48 trailers.

The following day, police arrested five teenagers in connection with the incident.

Cambridgeshire police said it then carried out a complex investigation into the fire, which resulted in Setchfield and Craig Allpress, 23, being charged in October 2021.

They were both charged with arson causing damage worth £754,871 to HGV trailers and their contents, as well as criminal damage to white goods belonging to Hotpoint.

Setchfield was also charged with further offences alongside Nathan Vinden, 24, in connection with an incident at a building site off London Road in Hampton the day before the Hotpoint fire.

Both were charged with arson causing £20,000 worth of damage at a GKL building site, burglary of an Oasis Welfare Unit at the building site, including theft of keys to an excavator, and criminal damage to an excavator, fencing and tools.

Setchfield admitted the Hotpoint offences but denied the other three charges, all of which were accepted in court.

Allpress denied the charges against him but was found guilty of criminal damage following a trial at Huntingdon Law Court in May. He was cleared of arson.

Trailers destroyed by the fire at Hotpoint's premises

Trailers destroyed by the fire at Hotpoint’s premises

Source: Cambridgeshire police

Vinden pleaded guilty to criminal damage and was found guilty of burglary following the trial, both relating to the GKL building site. He was cleared of arson.

All three appeared at Cambridge Crown Court on 26 July where Setchfield was sentenced to an 18-month community order and must complete 25 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement and 30 days of a thinking skills programme.

Allpress was given a 12-month conditional discharge meaning if he commits another crime during that period, he can be sentenced for the first offence.

Vinden appeared at Cambridge Crown Court on 1 August where he was fined a total of £1,500; £750 for each offence.

He must also pay a £75 victim surcharge which goes towards funding victim services and £2,190 in court costs.

Four other men who were all teenagers at the time and arrested as part of the investigation had no further action taken against them.

Detective Sergeant Louis Scott, who investigated, said: “This was an incredibly long and complex investigation which has eventually seen convictions for a crime that had a significant impact on a business.

“The actions of Setchfield were extremely careless, and I hope the last few years have given him chance to reflect and learn from his mistakes.”

Hotpoint holds operator licences in all traffic areas and can run a total of 100 HGVs in the East of England region.

Topics