Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service attended the former Flowserve Sports and Social Club, off Hawton Lane, Balderton, on at least 5 occasions in the last 10 days.
This was in response to several reports of fires being set at the site, causing significant damage to the area and taking up multiple fire appliances and police units each time.
A spokesperson for the fire service said:
‘Each incident is causing more and more damage to the site, making the derelict social club building extremely dangerous, not only to those setting the fires, but the Firefighters and Police Officers deployed to make the area safe.
‘The effects of fire can be devastating and, ultimately, can be fatal, particularly in dangerous abandoned buildings.
‘Local officers are actively investigating the causes and people responsible for these fires and, should any offenders be identified, they will be prosecuted. We do not tolerate individuals causing deliberate, needless damage, taking valuable resources away from people genuinely in need of help.
‘We understand that derelict buildings can be cause for curiosity and exploring, however we must stress the dangers of unstable buildings; the former social club is now structurally unsound, with debris, loose wires, and other hazards throughout.
‘The risk of becoming trapped inside a derelict, burning building, is extremely high, which is why each report requires a concentrated effort from both us and our fire and rescue colleagues.
‘The last thing we want is to attend an incident like this and have to tell a family that their loved one is not coming home, all because of an avoidable incident.
‘We would like to stress to parents of young people and teenagers to educate their children on the dangers of entering abandoned buildings and setting fires, as well as ensuring that they have an awareness of where and what their children are doing when out and about in the summer holidays.’
If you have any information which may assist us in our ongoing investigations, please do not hesitate to contact 101 using Notts Police Ref 25000493703 or report anonymously to Crimestoppers.
