Police appeal for trio on scooter to come forward in Tomlin Drive arson investigation

Tomlin Drive fire Photo via Gary Taylor

Detectives investigating a suspicious fire in Margate are continuing to appeal for witnesses to come forward, in particular three people on a blue and silver scooter seen riding down Tomlin Drive at the time of the incident as they may have information which could assist.

Kent Police was called to the scene in Tomlin Drive at 6pm on Sunday (July 24) where a fire, believed to have started in a garden shed, had spread to adjoining flats.

Crews at the scene Photo Frank Leppard

The fire was extinguished by Kent Fire and Rescue Service and no injuries were reported. Two dogs were rescued from the building.

Four appliances and an ambulance were at the scene along with an electrical safety engineer from UK Power Networks, a gas safety engineer, Kent Police and the KFRS Volunteer Response Team. Fire crews finished at the scene at 9.20pm.

Photo Frank Leppard

Officers are investigating a possible arson and are appealing for anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious to come forward.

People who were driving in the area at the time of the fire and have dashcam footage are also encouraged to get in touch.

Witnesses should contact Kent Police on 01843 222289 quoting 46/142796/22.

10 Comments

  1. Arson aside, it’s hard to understand why the owner of the block had a combustible shed next to the flats. Surely any fire risk assessment would have flagged it as a hazard.

  2. The police should appeal to all e-scootet users to come forward.
    Then these illegal infernal things could be seized and crushed, making outer streets and pavements much much safer.

    • Absolutely agree Phyliss, I have been campaigning for the police to confiscate these illegal machines for the last couple of years, but they won’t, why is that? I have had 9 near misses by people wobbling along usually on pavements, and they can exceed 15 mph. My Mobility Scooter is limited to 8 mph on the road, and 4 mph on pavements, and I am insured, they are not! Three on an electric scooter, duuuurh!

      • It’s illegal to carry passengers on mobility scooters but that doesn’t stop them every day in Cliftonville. One young woman with two children speeding along the pavement regularly. One drunk man with a big boy sitting on his lap controlling the scooter yesterday. Scooters are not designed to take passengers unless there are two seats like those in Benidorm. It makes them being ridden dangerously and the Police should act to stop them, not ignore them.

  3. Three people on a scooter? Probably a nicked motor scooter? I’m sure they are not going to come forward to help enquiries. Just a hunch.

  4. It is possible that the shed was placed without permission, this is not unusual for people to do this as they don’t know the laws pertaining to building regulations, most shed fires are caused by a cigarette being discarded still alight and light magnification, most likely the shed had quite a few part used tins of paint and thinners most owner’s don’t realise the danger of having this so close to their property if they are insured they may not pay out if it is to close to the property, if the fire service and police think it is a suspicious fire? Has thanet’s car arsonists decided a change of object to burn if they have and this is the first time it is very fortunate it didn’t end up with death on there hands.

    A thought how many shed or beach huts have been set alight or raised to the ground suspiciously in the last few years in thanet

  5. The garage’s at the back should be demolished ASAP. All a fire risk and full of dumped cars.

  6. We see delinquents riding bikes speeding down Northdown Road most days late afternoon or early evenings, sometimes three up. The bikes are off road bikes and are extremely noisy have no number plates and they often don’t wear helmets. It has been going on for months. Police ignore them when spotted as are too busy doing other important business. The word anarchy may be a bit strong but it is wild out there at times along this busy high street. They are out in darkness stealing motorcycles all over Thanet. There needs to be regular periods of strong policing campaigns witch include police motorcyclists able to catch the culprits before anything worse happens. At present they know they can get away with anything they do.

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