Pavilion fire treated as suspected arson

A blaze around the bowling pavilion at Sunderland’s Mowbray Park is being treated as suspected arson, Northumbria Police has confirmed.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue service crews from Sunderland Central, Farringdon and Marley Park attended the incident at around 8.40pm on Wednesday.

The fire is believed to have started in a bowling pavilion within the park grounds, destroying the roof of the building and leaving the rest of it damaged.

Two crews remained at the scene until around 11pm on Wednesday and fire investigation teams returned to Mowbray Park just after 9am on Thursday to help determine the cause of the blaze.

While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, Northumbria Police confirmed it is treating it as suspected arson – and a probe has now been launched by the force.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson told the Echo: “Shortly before 9.45pm on Wednesday, police were alerted by the fire service to a fire in Mowbray Park, Sunderland.

“Emergency services attended and found a building that was ablaze. The fire was extinguished and nobody is believed to have been injured. “An investigation is ongoing into the cause of the fire, which police are currently treating as suspected arson.

“Anyone who saw anything suspicious is asked to contact 101 quoting reference 1179 021019 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Anyone with information is also asked to call FireStoppers on 0800 169 5558.