Two arrested following incident in Newton-le-Willows

We have arrested two people following an incident in Newton-le-Willows yesterday, Tuesday, 30 April.

At around 7.30pm, police were called to Linear View to reports of a bottle containing accelerant being put near a house. It was alight for a short time causing superficial damage to the property but no one was injured.

A short time later, officers arrested a 16-year-old male and a 19-year-old male on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. They were taken to a local police station for questioning and have since been released under investigation.

CCTV and witness enquiries are ongoing and detectives want anyone with information to come forward.

Detective Inspector Jackie Guinness said: "This was a reckless act and the consequences could have easily been catastrophic. We are continuing to appeal for information as we believe a large group of youths were in area at the time and I would ask anyone who saw or heard any suspicious behaviour to please get in touch.

“Likewise, if you have any CCTV or dashcam footage from the Linear View area, please let us know as it may assist us in our investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact @MerPolCC, call 101 with reference 19100213370, or contact @CrimestoppersUK anonymously on 0800 555 111.