Message from Acton Central Safer Neighbourhood Team

Record set straight over allegation police started fire in car

After an allegation against Ealing Police that they broke into a car and set fire to it on June 3rd, Acton Central Safer Neighbourhood Team has asked ActonW3.com to issue the following statement:

"At about 8.55pm on 3rd June 2007 a police Territorial Support Group unit followed a blue Peugeot in Hereford Road, W3. There were two males in the vehicle. Police temporarily lost the car in this road but found it several moments later parked in Oak Court, off Hereford Road, a residents parking area adjacent to a block of flats. When Police rediscovered the vehicle it was unattended and secure. Occupiers of the flats in the vicinity saw two males decamp from the car shortly before Police had rediscovered it.

"As Police were looking at the vehicle they noticed that there was smoke coming from the inside of the car and, to prevent any harm to local residents from potential explosion, they forced entry to it in order to use the fire extinguisher to put the fire out. London Fire Brigade attended. At no point during this did any person come back to the vehicle claiming to be responsible for it.

"There has been suggestion that the police officers, rather than putting the fire out, had deliberately broken into the vehicle to set it on fire. This allegation is completely without substance. The officers who broke into the vehicle to put the fire out also recovered valuables from within the car and this property was restored to the owner."

June 12, 2007