Man held over bungalow tanker blaze

The damage to a bungalow after a tanker crashed into it, setting the property on fire
12 April 2012

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a woman had a lucky escape when a fuel tanker crashed into the front of her bungalow.

Police launched a manhunt for the driver of the Watson Fuels tanker after he fled the scene of the crash and subsequent fire near Wareham in Dorset.

A 51-year-old man from Yeovil, Somerset, was arrested nearby and is being questioned by detectives.

Police said the woman, named locally as Christine Billington, was "safe and well" but the bungalow suffered "significant" damage in the blaze.

Ms Billington, thought to be in her 50s, is believed to run a dog-grooming business, Paw Prints, which is registered at the address in Folly Lane, Wool.

Neighbour Mary Furze, 80, who has lived in the lane for 42 years, said the area was usually "very quiet and peaceful" and the first she knew about what happened was when she saw black smoke billowing across the road.

"There was ever such a lot of smoke," she said. "We are very lucky - there could have been an explosion from the sounds of it."

A Dorset Police spokesman said: "A 51-year-old Yeovil man has been arrested in Wool on suspicion of attempted murder and is helping police with their inquiries.

"The arrested man is believed to be known to the occupant of the house. It is believed a number of people were in the area and may have information that could help the investigation."

Around 30 firefighters attended the blaze, which was brought under control in about an hour.

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