Car torched in Stanmer Park

I came across a burning car whilst hiking in Stanmer Park. I phoned the fire brigade, then took photos and sent them to the Argus. This story did not get published, despite my scoop. Cars are set alight quite often.

11 October 2009. A car was torched in Stanmer Park on Saturday night. The Fire Service was alerted at 7pm. A fire crew arrived fifteen minutes later, to find the car ablaze, in the car park, which is situated in a small wood at the entrance to Stanmer Park, behind the University of Sussex Sports Centre, off the Lewis Road.

The fire burned fiercely until the fire crew aimed a fire hose at the car. The fire was extinguished by 7:30pm.

A Fire Officer, who did not wish to be named, said that the fire crew had used “One in Seven foam”. He said: “Instead of using water you can stand further back, it has a faster knock down time, so it’s going to know the fire down sooner, because it smoothers as well as cools, whereas water just cools.”

Simon Hills of the West Sussex Police said that the torched car was a three-door Vauxhall Corsa. He said that matter is under investigation, but that they are treating it as ‘deliberate ignition’.
A local man, who watched the firemen extinguish the fire, said that there have been a few cars burned in the park over the years, but that this was the “first in a while.”