CCTV captures church arson attempt

There have been a spate of suspicious fires at the church

Police in Bedfordshire have released CCTV footage of a man who could be behind a fire that gutted a Luton church on Tuesday.

The fire at Hightown Methodist Church in Luton was started deliberately and was the latest of several suspicious fires at the Victorian building over the past four months.

CCTV pictures released on Wednesday show a man running away after another attack on 13 October.

Detectives believe the fires are linked and could be the work of the man pictured.

A man tried to set fire to the church in October

The grainy footage is thought to show the man throwing what could be petrol at a metal door at the side of the church, and then setting fire to it.

Detective Constable Wayne Qualter said they were anxious to trace the man and appealed for the public's help in identifying him.

He said: "So far no one has been injured in these fires but it is only a matter of time before that happens."

Tuesday's fire began at about 0830, and lasted for several hours.

Nearby shops and houses were also in danger of catching fire.

Surrounding roads were cordoned off while dozens of firefighters brought the blaze under control.

There have also been recent suspicious fires at the Baptist Church on Reginald Street, and the Seventh Day Adventist Church on North Street.