Chepstow family destitute after arson (From South Wales Argus)

Chepstow family destitute after arson

2:25pm Tuesday 10th November 2009

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A CHEPSTOW family was left devastated after an arson attack wreaked havoc on their home and destroyed nearly all their possessions.

Pamela and Robert Dumayne, of St Ewens Road, Chepstow and their children were forced to evacuate their house on Sunday night as a fire in their back shed started to spread.

The inside of the house was severely damaged by smoke and the family lost nearly all their possessions, including clothes. Only the washing machine, cooker and fridge-freezer were saved.

Mr Dumayne, 50, was locking up the house at around 10.10pm before going to bed when he saw flames coming from the shed.

"I shouted to my wife “there’s a fire in the shed” and tried to put it out with water from the kitchen," he said.

Mrs Dumayne, 41, added: "I rang 999 and just got everybody out. It was too ferocious."

The incident happened just eight-days after the couple renewed their wedding vows at St Mary’s Church in Chepstow following several difficult years, including the death of their 14-year-old daughter Hannah during an epileptic fit in April 2004.

Their youngest child, Katie lost a silver necklace, bought specially for the occasion, in the fire.

Mrs Dumayne said: "I feel numb right now. I don’t know what we’re going to do.

When we came back on Monday morning I cried when I first saw the house, I felt devastated."

The couple, who live with their children Katie, 12, Joshua, 13, Ryan, 16 and 18-year-old Christopher Davies estimate the damage to be worth tens-of-thousands-of-pounds and they have no insurance.

The family is staying at a bed and breakfast while accommodation is arranged for them by Monmouthshire Housing Association, which owns their house.

But Mrs Dumayne said the family might not be back home before Christmas.

Gwent Police confirmed they were treating the incident as arson.

Two 15-year-old boys and two 13-year-old boys from the local area were arrested on suspicion of arson and were still in custody as the Argus went to press.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101 or anonymously on 0800 555111.

Flat fire 'could have spread'

ARSONISTS set fire to a Newport flat on Sunday night which firefighters said could have spread to neighbouring properties if it were not for a smoke alarm. Firefighters were called to a fire at a first floor flat on Hendre Farm Drive in Ringland at 10.45pm. Crews from Maindee and Duffryn arrived on the scene to find the fire well alight. No one was inside the flat at the time and no one was injured. The neighbour heard the smoke alarm and called the fire service. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. A fire service spokesman said had the smoke alarm not been working, the fire could have spread to other properties. Newport city council have provided the tenant with emergency accommodation. Gwent Police are treating the fire as arson but no one has yet been arrested. Anyone with information is asked to contact Gwent Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

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