ALL RUINED; Arson probe as charity shop left with hundreds of pounds of worthless stock.

Byline: MARK WELFORD

ARSONISTS are thought to be behind a blaze which left a charity shop with hundreds of pounds of worthless stock.

Staff at Age Concern in Billingham are pleading for donations after the stock they had was ruined by smoke.

Firebugs are believed to have struck the rear of the charity shop at West Precinct underneath Kingsway House twice in one week - the latest in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Boxes of books were kept locked in a caged area behind the shop with the space between the bars allowing any callous arsonist a target for ignition.

On Monday staff found three separate fires had been started using piles of books. The books were moved out of reach but the shop is thought to have been targeted again four days later.

Nicki Unsworth, assistant manager, who lives near the shopping precinct in Cotswold Crescent, said she was shocked to find the alarm sounding and firemen waiting for her when she arrived for work.

She said: "I opened the store room and was hit by a wall of heat and a really intense smell of burning and dampness."

The shop's telecommunications cables were melted in the blaze and according to traders this is not the first time something like this has happened.

Nicki said the suspected culprits were: "Mindless, thoughtless and irresponsible thugs".

She added: "They just don't think of the repercussions - it could have caused injury or death. What do they get out of it?" The shop, which raises money to improve the quality of life of elderly people, will also lose vital trade while closed for health and safety reasons.

Nicki said: "We've turned away a lot trade today, at the very least a couple of hundred pounds. We can't reuse any stock we've got out the back.

"How can someone start a fire outside a charity shop that is here to help older people? I'm angry but also disappointed that money has been lost for the charity."

A resident from one of the flats in nearby Dawson House raised the alarm after spotting the smoke in the early hours of Friday morning.

A crew from Stockton arrived at around 2.30am and left the scene at 3.10am.

Crew Manager Kev Robson, of Stockton fire station said: "For a fire to start at that time in the morning, in an enclosed bin cupboard, it was probably done so deliberately but we can't be 100% certain.

"Our fire engineering department have been informed and will be investigating." * Anyone wanting to donate or give a helping hand should contact Age Concern in Norton on 01642 554824 or visit the shop on High Street, in Norton.

CAPTION(S):

FIRE DAMAGED: The area at back of the charity store