Man watching TV when he received devastating knock on door

A man and his wife are living "in a nightmare" after their summer house was set on fire in a suspected arson attack. At around 7.20pm on Monday, September 2, Jim Walker, 76, was watching TV at his home in Woolton Village when his neighbour knocked on the door and told him there was a fire in his garden.

Jim ran down with a fire extinguisher to find his summer house on fire. He told the ECHO: "By the time I got there it was totally ablaze." The fire service arrived shortly after, but by the time the fire was extinguished, it was already destroyed.

The summer house, which sits at the bottom of Jim's garden, is separated from a public park by a metal fence. According to Jim, witnesses saw a group of youths lighting a piece of paper on fire and shoving it through the metal fence.

A fire investigation officer confirmed the summer house had been set on fire from the park side of the fence. Jim built the summer house four years ago as a haven where he and his wife could relax.

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He said: "It wasn't like one of these Mickey Mouse houses. It was a bespoke summer house. We used one of the rooms as a lounge, and then there was another room which was a meditation room, and a workshop I used to potter about in.

"The place is completely gutted. It's going to cost thousands to put it right. It's a nightmare."

Jim claims Woolton Village is becoming a target for anti-social behaviour. He said: "There's problems all the time with youths causing mayhem," adding: "In the past, they've thrown stuff at people - eggs, bottles, fireworks.

"I was driving through the village the other day and there was about 20 kids on bikes, all dressed in black with masks and hoods up, congregating in the middle of the village.

"They ride in circles on the roads, stopping traffic and being a pain. There's never a police presence. Living in the village is becoming a nightmare."

Merseyside Police said it has received a few reports of incidents involving anti-social behaviour caused by youths in the Woolton area, and as a result it has increased high-visibility patrols to deal with any issues and prevent offences from taking place.

Jim added: "People don't want to walk through the village - it's that bad. There's a lot of older people living in the village, and they are really scared."

Merseyside Police and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service are currently investigating the fire on September 2. Local policing Inspector Steve Reilly said: “We have received a few reports of incidents of anti-social behaviour caused by youths in the Woolton area, and as a result we have increased high-visibility patrols to deal with any issues and prevent offences from taking place.

“We are working with Liverpool City Council’s Safer Park’s Unit who are patrolling in the local parks and engaging with children on acceptable behaviour. Anti-social behaviour is a community priority, and as part of this we are looking at improving environmental factors such as cutting back foliage, street lighting and CCTV in the area.

“Now that the new school term has begun, our school’s officer is working with schools in the area to provide advice and prevent issues from occurring, as well as to identify suspects and take action. While police and partners are working together, we also need support of parents to take responsibility to prevent it from happening in the first place.

“With this, I appeal to parents and guardians, and urge them to know where their child is, what they are up to and friends they are with. It is not only to stop them causing unnecessary distress to residents in the area, but also for their own safety and welfare.”

Inspector Reilly added: “This was a stupid and reckless incident where the fire could have spread to neighbouring gardens, causing risk to life and extensive damage. CCTV enquiries are ongoing along with other methods to assist the investigation to identify offenders and bring them to justice.

“If anyone has information or saw a group of youths in Quarry Street Park and witnessed the moments leading up to summer house being set on fire then please contact us, as this could be vital to our enquiries.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident or with any information can contact can contact @MerPolCC or Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ with reference 24000762809. You can also contact the independent charity Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.