9:00am Wednesday 10th March 2010
By Arron Hendy
A COMMUNITY centre was saved from being burned down by a quick-thinking volunteer.
Colin Harmer was at home when he spotted a fire at Littlemoor Community Centre, which backs on to his garden in Canberra Road, Weymouth.
Mr Harmer, 58, who is the club’s entertainments manager, said he rushed to the centre after spotting a wheelie bin alight at the back of the building.
“I spotted the smoke from my bedroom window,” he said.
“I managed to put it out with a fire extinguisher from the hall before it caught the roof.”
“It was only by chance I was in, otherwise it would have caught the guttering and the leaves, and that would have been the roof gone and maybe the building.
“It could’ve quite easily got that far.”
Mr Harmer said he decided to act on the fire instead of calling the fire brigade as he thought the centre was about to catch fire.
He said he had seen youngsters playing with a large box of matches prior to the fire.
He is angry because he is arranging fundraising events for the centre and planning to host activities for young people.
He said: “There were children aged about 12 to 14 and they were playing with a big household box of matches at the side of the hall and in the play area. I saw them.
“The thing is we are trying to get the hall up and running.
“We’ve got a lot of functions going on.”
Mr Harmer said graffiti artists were targeting the centre.
He added:“It kind of makes you think ‘is it worthwhile?’ “We are trying to get some life back into the community and we’ve got various things planned, including stuff for children.
“But it seems people are doing their best to ruin our good work.”
Mr Harmer fears graffiti tagged with the letters ‘LMF’ are a sign of a new gang in Littlemoor.
But he is hoping youngsters in the area will be able to concentrate on events at the centre instead.
He said: “We’ve got activities coming up at Easter and we are talking about things for the summer holidays.
“They are too quick to say there’s nothing going on for them but when you try and do something for them this is how you are paid back.”
A Dorset Police spokesman confirmed they were called at 5.40pm on Saturday, March 6.
He said: “It is being investigated as arson.
“The bin was destroyed.”
Anyone with any information about this fire can call PC Nicola Grant-Jones on 01305 222222.
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