Arsonist banned for life from owning matches

An arsonist has been banned from owning matches for life. John Anthony Bell received the life-time ban, from possessing matches, lighters of accelerants, under an ASBO. If he breaks it, he could face a jail sentence.

It emerged that he had been responsible for starting a series of fires across North Wales – then he rang the fire service. Mold Crown Court heard how Bell, 27, had been depressed and drawing attention to himself. North Wales Fire and Rescue Service had spent more than £16,000 tacking the fires he started in Rhos on Sea, Old Colwyn and in Holywell, North Wales.



But significantly their time was being diverted from potentially life-threatening incidents, the court heard. Bell was tracked down after fire service personnel noticed that his mobile phone number was appearing a large number of times to when fires were being reported.

Police arrested him and he admitted that he was responsible for starting more than 50 separate fires in wheelie bins, skips, sheds, hedges, fencing panels, rubbish and even grass fires. They all took place over a three year period in areas where he lived or worked up the coast, or where his partner’s parents lived at Holywell. Bell of Queensway, Old Colwyn, was jailed for 27 months and an ASBO was made which is effectively a life-time ban from possessing lighters, matches or accelerants.