Equipment reportedly worth over £100,000 stolen during suspected arson in West Sussex

Wednesday, 29 April 2020 16:49

The owner of a tree-surgery business in Cowfold has said he's 'overwhelmed with support' after he reported losing over £100,000 worth of equipment in what police have begun to investigate as a suspected arson and theft. Officers confirmed that fire crews called police to Oakendene Industrial Estate on Bolney Road at 6.50am on Tuesday morning (April, 28) as firefighters tackled flames that seriously damaged the premises of Holder Tree Services. The business had been broken-into overnight, with the owner Daniel Holder reporting that he believed his hand-held chain-saws were the target. Images circulated by the business clearly showed a van and many industrial plant items rendered beyond recovery by the fire. Emergency services also found that the flames had caused such severe damage to the site, including to services such as electricity and water, that several other nearby businesses were unable to operate. As enquiries continued, police appealed to anyone offered chain-saws, strimmers and hedge cutters, to get in touch by calling 101, quoting serial 213 of 28/04. By Wednesday lunchtime (29 April), over 1,200 messages of support and offers of practical help from members of the public and other businesses had been sent to Mr. Holder. More Radio is continuously dedicated to providing a quality news service on-air and online, reporting local stories that matter across Sussex. If you found this story useful, then check out our home page at moreradio.online where you can find the latest from the county, along with features and competitions from our presenters, as well as listening to the station live. You can also sign up to our news alerts to receive updates on new stories. Simply click on the bell at the bottom right of the home page. This will then allow a pop-up which will ask if you would like to receive alerts. Press ‘allow’ and you’re all signed up! You can also follow us on Facebook and on Twitter.