12:36pm Thursday 6th August 2009
By Michael Pickard
RECKLESS vandals torched a family's summerhouse after a string of burglaries hit Oxhey Village.
Charred floorboards and crumbling walls are all that remains of a chalet in the garden of Ron Dillingham's home in Villiers Road, following an arson attack last Saturday morning.
Nearby trees bear the burns of flames 30 foot high, while the contents of the chalet, including a tracksuit worn by former Watford and England manager Graham Taylor, and a jacket belonging to Elton John, have been completely destroyed.
Other items lost include memorabilia from the former Sedgwicks Brewery in Watford and a Ryder Cup hat signed by golfer Tom Watson. However, a Washburn acoustic guitar and a rare six-string banjo were stolen.
The chalet was set alight after the suspected arsonists jumped into the garden from an adjoining alley. They then removed the cover of the family's swimming pool and threw items into the water, before forcing entry into the building, which had only been built last Christmas and was used as a cinema room.
Mr Dillingham was asleep at home with his wife Mandy Hall and their seven-year-old son Jack, when their black Labrador, Beau, alerted them to the fire, at around 12.15am.
Mandy said: “Beau was barking and I ignored him initially. He was so insistent and as I got up I saw an orange glow from the window and saw the fire. Then I raised the alarm and called the fire brigade.
“It was massively ablaze. It was a huge fire.
“It could have been so dangerous. If we had had a windy night it could have been a massive disaster.”
Ron, 69, a retired roofer, estimates the damage of the fire will cost him approximately £25,000.
He said: “There's no point to it. There's no reason. Why didn't they just take what they wanted and go?
“It's just an unnecessary and pointless exercise. They could have cleared it out and gone.”
The fire took place on the same night as a number of burglaries at nearby houses, with as many as eight thought to have taken place in Capel Road.
Zac Smale, 18, said five bikes were stolen from his shed.
He said: “I came home and saw the shed door open but didn't think anything of it. I was surprised [about the burglary]. Not a lot of stuff like that happens around here.”
Childminder Petina Lancey said her garden studio was also broken into and the lid of her hot tub was smashed.
She said: “It's pretty bad they set fire to it [Mr Dillingham's chalet] but then they could have set fire to all our sheds. We could have had a mass burning which would have been horrible.
“It was a massive fire. His whole garden was lit up. It was pretty fierce.
“They were just having a complete joyride and they weren't particularly worried about anything.”
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews from Watford and Bushey were called to Villiers Road at 12.27am on August 1.
The fire was extinguished just 29 minutes later, but firefighters remained at the scene to ensure it did not reignite until 2.15am.
Police Community Safety Sergeant Ian Smith said: “We are treating the arson and burglaries in Oxhey last weekend very seriously.
“We are exploring the possibility that they are linked at this time, although cannot say for certain at this stage. I would like to stress that incidents of this kind are very rare in Oxhey and we are doing our utmost to find those responsible.
“In the meantime, if residents have any information in relation to these offences or believe they saw anything on the night, I would encourage them to contact us via the non-emergency number 0845 33 00 222.
“We would also encourage residents to follow crime prevention advice like ensuring all doors are locked at night, avoiding keeping expensive items in sheds or outhouses and improving garden security.”
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