Fire at proposed asylum seeker site has undetermined cause

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 26 Oct, 11:01 · Archive

A fire at a proposed asylum seeker accommodation site in Cambridgeshire could not be definitively attributed to any cause despite investigation.

A fire at Roman Court in Leverington, near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, was reported to emergency services at 7.26pm on Wednesday 21 October. The building, which was unoccupied at the time, was a single-storey structure. Firefighters from Wisbech, March and Dogsthorpe attended alongside specialist equipment and crews from Norfolk, and left the scene at about 10.30pm after extinguishing the fire. No injuries were reported, but the building sustained severe damage.

The site has been at the centre of controversy following government plans to use Roman Court as accommodation for asylum seekers. In September, Fenland District Council revealed the Home Office intended to provide 26 bed spaces for mothers and babies there. The proposal is part of a wider national scheme to move asylum seekers from hotel accommodation into longer-term facilities.

Police initially treated the fire as arson. However, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed on 23 October that a complex fire investigation had been undertaken. The service stated that due to the significant damage to the building and the effects of firefighting operations, a precise cause could not be determined. A Home Office spokesperson said any form of criminal damage would be completely unacceptable.

How it is being reported

• Fire service update on cause of fire at proposed asylum seeker siteCambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has given a major update about the cause of a fire at proposed asylum seeker site Roman Court in Leverington.Cambs Times · 26 Oct, 10:09
• Fire service update on cause of fire at proposed asylum seeker siteCambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has given a major update about the cause of a fire at proposed asylum seeker site Roman Court in Leverington.Ely Standard · 26 Oct, 10:09

In this story: Roman Court · Leverington · Wisbech · Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service · Home Office · Fenland District Council

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