£350,000 worth of damage in latest attack.
AR Demolition bosses are counting their losses again this morning having been hit with a second arson attack. The latest attack, which took place at the former Wolsey Works, in Abbey Meadows, Leicester shortly before 3 pm yesterday, is said to have destroyed around £350,000 worth of equipment.
AR Demolition suffered a similar occurrence in January 2015, raising fears that this was a targeted attack and not merely a random act of vandalism.
The cabs of four machines, including two excavators and a dumptruck, were all alight when two crews from Leicester’s Eastern and Central fire stations arrived. Fire crews wearing breathing equipment tackled the flames, but couldn’t salvage any of the vehicles. They used a portable pump and drew water from the River Soar alongside to tackle the blaze.
Crew manager Mark Waddingham, of Eastern fire station, said: “There is 100 per cent fire damage to the vehicles which has caused £350,000 damage, according to the owner.”
According to AR Demolition sources, three of the four machines destroyed in the blaze were on hire and were not directly owned by AR Demolition. “We are absolutely devastated as three bits of kit were hired in and not ours,” says an AR Demolition source. “Ours was a small loss compared to theirs. It is clear that we will need security on all our projects from now on.”
An investigation will be carried out by Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service. An exclusive video of the damage caused by the attack can be viewed here.
