Northampton Arson Attack and Suspected Murder

Police were called to a fire at a property in Rothersthorpe Road in Northampton on Thursday 8th October where the body of a man was found but Robert Chester is suspected to have been dead before the fire started. Two people have appeared in court accused of his murder and arson recklessly endangering life. The case continues.

We do not know the details but if Robert was dead before the fire started then it was probably started to cover someone’s tracks. There are some malevolent acts that are very hard to defend against especially if they are not expected and come out of the blue. Arson can be guarded against in your home or business so long as perpetrators do not have access to your home.

• When you have unexpected visitors to your home or business, you do not have to let them in if they are not trusted.
• Always ask for ID from official visitors.
• Run the visitor past the home owner or business owner / manager before granting access.
• Do not leave anyone alone in your home or business if access is granted.
• Chain locks on your doors are a good option.

You can guard against external arson attacks by taking certain measures:

• Do not let bins overflow.
• Do not store bins or woodpiles or any other fuel sources against the sides f buildings.
• Do not park cars too near the buildings.
• Do not store pressurised containers or flammable materials anywhere near the main building.
• CCTV is an ideal. If that is beyond means then you can buy dummy cameras and signage to say the property is protected by CCTV. Even if this is not true, it can be a visual deterrent.
• Smoke alarms are essential to any property together with an emergency plan including escape routes and calling 999 that everyone is familiar with through practice.
• Fire extinguishers near all exits.
• Fire proof letterboxes are available to prevent people posting fire source through.

Fire risk assessments are an essential part of fire safety for your business so there is no excuse for not having them in place and acted upon. If you need help with this we can help at Fire & Electrical Safety.

At home there is no mandatory law unless you are renting the place, in which case talk to your landlord about any concerns. Addressing some of those concerns may be the landlord’s responsibility but much of that responsibility lies with you. Click here & here for our free resource – domestic fire risk assessment.