Arson terror prompts rethink
HORRIFIC crimes committed by notorious Hull arsonists Bruce Lee and David Burtonshaw have prompted a new approach to investigating suspicious fires.
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service and Humberside Police will jointly investigate all suspected arson attacks in a bid to prevent a repeat of the attacks which saw Lee burn 15 people to death more than 30 years ago, including 11 at an old people’s home at Westhill, Hessle, above, and Burtonshaw kill his stepson in 2005.
Det Chief Supt Colin Andrews said: “One of the things we identified from Burtonshaw and Bruce Lee was how this often starts with low-level fires like wheelie bins. Often a fireman will have a fireman’s instinct that something is wrong but never write it down. Now even with minor crimes we will look at them very carefully to identify patterns a lot earlier.”