Bootle mum watches CCTV of suspected arsonist setting her home ablaze

Holly Cham, 33, returned to find her Bootle home smoke-damaged after a man was arrested on suspicion of arson. Her boyfriend was inside when the fire broke out.

Suspected arsonist filmed at Bootle home while family were away

A mother of two from Bootle, Merseyside, has said she was "disgusted" after reviewing CCTV footage that appeared to show a stranger setting fire to her home while she was away with her children, BBC News reports.

Holly Cham, 33, was not at the property on 24 August when her security cameras captured a man emerging from the back of the garage before a fire took hold in the early hours of the morning. Her boyfriend was inside the house at the time, looking after the property.

Merseyside Police confirmed that a 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. He was subsequently released on conditional bail pending further enquiries.

The CCTV footage shows the man walking away from the garage as light from the fire begins to illuminate the walls of the house. He then walks along the street, knocks on several neighbours' doors, and returns to Holly's property, where her boyfriend answers the front door. The boyfriend moved his car off the driveway before the full extent of the blaze became apparent.

Holly said her boyfriend had been asleep when the fire spread and was woken by a stranger ringing the doorbell. "He opened the bedroom door and saw smoke coming in from the bathroom window," she said. He called the fire service as soon as he got out of the house.

"My boyfriend could have lost his life," Holly said. "Our neighbourhood is terrified, with neighbours taking turns to keep watch through the night because nobody feels safe."

The fire destroyed the garage roof, shattered two windows — believed to have been caused by the intensity of the heat — and left the interior of the house without electricity, with smoke damage to the work area and bathroom. "Everything in the garage is gone," Holly said. Repairs are estimated to cost up to £10,000.

The damage has also had a severe financial impact. Holly runs a small business from home, and all her stock and equipment were destroyed in the blaze. "I now have to rebuild my business from zero, while losing my only source of income at the same time," she said.

Holly has since moved into her parents' home with her six-year-old and her 11-year-old son Ethan, who has autism. She said the disruption had been particularly hard on him. "Losing his home, belongings and routines has been incredibly difficult for him," she said, adding that the children's school is now a considerable distance from where the family are temporarily staying.

"I'm trying to stay strong for the children but behind closed doors I'm struggling with sleepless nights worrying," Holly said.

Source: BBC News