Fishing Group 'devastated' After Container Fire

2 weeks ago

Alex PopeNorthamptonshire

Higham Ferrers Riverside Angling Association A ample retention container, pinch its doors open, pinch burnt and damaged items each astir it, a yellowish container astatine nan front, and burnt and damaged items connected nan ground.

The head of an angling nine has said he has been near "devastated" aft a suspected arson onslaught destroyed astir £6,000 worthy of sportfishing and electrical equipment.

Craig Parkins, 40, from Fishing for Minds, portion of Higham Ferrers Riverside Angling Club, successful Northamptonshire, said years of activity collected wrong a retention instrumentality had "just gone up successful smoke".

Mr Parkins, from adjacent Rushden, said nan group was started successful 2023 to thief group pinch intelligence wellness issues, arsenic he suffers from anxiety.

Northamptonshire Police said nan blaze, started successful nan early hours of 13 October, was thought to beryllium deliberate.

Sam Read/BBC Craig Parkins, opinionated outside, wearing a cap, pinch glasses on, wearing a ray hoodie, pinch a beard. He is opinionated successful beforehand of a lake, pinch writer to nan side.

Mr Parkins, nan head of Fishing for Minds and use serviceman for nan angling club, said he had a telephone telephone from a personnel of nan nationalist telling him that nan instrumentality portion wherever each their instrumentality was stored had been "torched".

He believes nan occurrence happened astatine astir 01:00 BST connected 13 October.

Both are not-for-profit organisations.

"At nan clip we thought each nan kit had been burnt but we deliberation immoderate of it mightiness person been stolen, because we couldn't spot immoderate burnt reels connected nan ground," he said.

"I walked astir nan park, and recovered rods lying successful nan wood."

He estimated that nan full costs of nan harm was astir £6,000, including astir £3,000 worthy of sportfishing materials.

It besides includes nan costs to repair nan container, and to switch different items for illustration spot boxes, chairs, trolleys, a section mower, manus devices and sportfishing tackle.

Higham Ferrers Riverside Angling Association Burnt and damaged items, wrong a retention container, connected nan floor, each charred and damaged.

Mr Parkins said: "I'm upset, angry, it's near maine saddened. I was conscionable devastated.

"My intelligence wellness has taken a spot of a hit, I person really bad worry and now I person insomnia.

"I've mislaid a fewer sentimental things but luckily we are insured."

He said nan organization rallied information quickly and donated items, truthful nan groups tin proceed sessions pinch young people, including events planned for half-term.

A fundraising entreaty has truthful acold raised astir £200.

"I want to opportunity a large convey you to everyone who's helped, it conscionable shows really beardown nan sportfishing organization is," he added.