North East Lincolnshire Council, which owns the former Jungle Zoo site, has released a statement after the Cleethorpes attraction and nearby toilets were targeted by arsonists.
Emergency services were called to the Pier Gardens in the early hours of Tuesday 2 July following reports that three portaloos had been set on fire. They were called back to the location yesterday, Thursday 4 July, when another toilet cubicle was set alight. Later the same evening, four fire crews were dispatched to the former Jungle Zoo which has now been completely destroyed.
Humberside Fire and Rescue have since determined that all three fires were started intentionally.
According to the Council, the site had been made secure before the fire. A spokesperson said the authority will be assisting fully with any subsequent investigation.
Commenting in his position as Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and the Visitor Economy, Councillor Hayden Dawkins, said he was waiting to discover more about the cause of the incidents
He continued: “Clearly, we must wait for the investigations to complete into the cause of last night’s incident. However, if those investigations confirm this was started deliberately, as has been the case in Pier Gardens, then I can only express my disgust, and utter disappointment that people believe it is ok to trespass on property and act in this way. If this latest incident was deliberate then it is not only mindless vandalism in our resort, but also potentially very dangerous and puts an extra strain on our hard-working emergency services.”
Anyone with information regarding the incidents should call Humberside Police on 101.
