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Teen confesses to £1m. Burnley shop fire
Fire damage inside the Spar shop on Padiham Road.
A TEENAGER has confessed to an arson attack which caused £1m. damage to a Burnley shop.
Ben Young (19) pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, after the blaze at the Spar store in Padiham Road, earlier this year.
Young, of Thorn Street, entered his plea at Burnley Crown Court and was remanded in custody by Judge Simon Newell pending pre-sentence and psychiatric reports on March 25th.
The prosecution estimated that the blaze may have caused around £1m. worth of damage to the store, during an earlier hearing at Burnley Magistrates’ Court.
The court was told that two shop assistants had just left the building and were putting the shutters down on the shop front when the blaze started around 10-30pm on January 6th.
Prosecutors said that there were homes just feet away from the store which was gutted in the fire.
Families living nearby had to be evacuated from their homes as around 25 firefighters fought 20ft high flames.
Emergency Services classed the fire as a major incident under Operation Merlin and roads had to be closed off for several hours.
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Saturday 25 May 2013
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