Police authorities have issued a warning for owners of unused buildings to secure them after two ‘suspicious’ fires in the past few days.
Friday 10th May a suspected arson attack occurred at a derelict Denbighshire seafront property.
An annexe and part of the ground floor of the building were destroyed during the blaze. The former Grange Hotel had previously been damaged in a fire in 2008.
Early on Thursday morning a further arson attack occurred at a former hospital in Flintshire. Fire fighters were called to the scene managing to confine the fire to the first floor.
Thankfully there were no injuries during either incident.
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and North Wales Police are now working closely together to try and tackle this problem.
It is possible that these two particular incidents could have been caused by squatters.
It is common for squatters to take up residence in unoccupied houses in London in particular because rents are too high for them to afford to pay leaving them with no money to live on.
There are an estimated 100,000 incidents of squatters every year which in turn causes misery for hundreds of innocent home owners and businesses.
To remove squatters you have to serve the correct notices and then use normal court procedures. It is possible to do this yourself but can take two or three months.
It is far too easy to legally squat. Squatters know that they just get moved on without penalty and they are never stopped from doing it again.
Squatting has reported to have doubled since the recession and partly driven due to the rise in empty homes.
It has been a criminal offence to squat in Scotland since the 1860s. England and Wales are yet to be brought in line. Prevention is of course better than cure so stop squatters moving in the first place. Keep your property secure at all times, especially between tenants.
Empty property can benefit from Residential Security presence to keep it safe and secure.
Ironside Associates Ltd provide bespoke security recommendations according to clients needs.
