Please see below a message from Merseyside Police
We are writing to inform you about recent incidents involving young people engaging in anti-social behaviour within vacant buildings in St Helens. Activities such as trespassing and lighting fires not only pose serious risks to their personal safety but also endanger the wider community.
In collaboration with Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, we would be very grateful if you could reinforce the following safety advice with students and parents:
- Avoid Abandoned Buildings: These locations may be structurally unsafe, contain hazardous materials, or present significant fire risks to children and young people.
- Fire Safety Awareness: Setting fires in vacant buildings is extremely dangerous and can escalate rapidly, leading to life-threatening situations.
- Legal Consequences: Trespassing / criminal damage and arson are criminal offences with legal repercussions.
- Emergency Response: If students witness unsafe behaviour or suspect a fire risk, they should immediately call 999 and report it.
To ensure all families are aware of these dangers, we kindly request that you send out a notification to parents, reinforcing this guidance and encouraging them to speak with their children about the risks.
For additional fire safety advice, please refer to Safety Advice | Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service.
If you have any information regarding individuals involved in recent fire-setting incidents, please contact Merseyside Police at 101 or submit a report online via Home | Merseyside Police. Alternatively, you can provide information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our community safe.