Callous arsonist torches summer holiday dreams for thousands of Salford children, destroying three coaches

By Dean Wilkins

A reckless arsonist has destroyed the summer holidays for thousands of schoolchildren after igniting three coaches in Salford.

The man – described as white and wearing shorts – was seen searching a red VW Gold parked in the White Horse pub car park on Eccles Old Road just after 4pm on August 11.

The callous crook then meandered his way to three white Volvo coaches and attempted to steal a TV monitor from one before deliberately burning all three and causing severe damage to another.

Detective Constable Jon Marsh, of Salford CID, said: “The cost of this reckless act runs into tens of thousands of pounds and all three coaches have been destroyed as a result.

“The vehicles are used to take children on adventure trips and they are the true victims of this crime.

“I want to hear from anyone who saw someone wearing shorts and acting suspiciously in the early hours of Saturday morning in the Eccles Old Road, Bindloss Avenue or Half edge Lane area.

“I am also keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time and might not realise that they saw something relevant, in particular a milkman working nearby and the driver of a Ford Transit Connect van that drove past the pub at the time of the incident.”

The coaches are used to take children on adventure trips and are often parked on the car park when not in use.

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