Accused arsonist had 'issues with churches'

A 43-year-old man has been charged with arson after a series of suspicious fires across the Wellington region over the weekend. File photo / NZ Herald

A man has been charged with starting two of the 12 suspicious fires in the Wellington region within the past 48 hours.

The 43-year-old Porirua man will appear in Lower Hutt District Court tomorrow morning accused of torching two churches in Wainuiomata, while police continue investigations into the other blazes.

A police spokeswoman told NZPA tonight the man allegedly had "issues" with the churches.

Lower Hutt CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Borrell said today the man was arrested in the Wellington suburb of Johnsonville last night and appeared in Wellington District Court this morning charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and theft of petrol.

Detectives investigating the arson attacks interviewed him this morning and subsequently charged him with starting fires at Wainuiomata Gospel Hall and Wainuiomata Pioneer Church.

Police were now investigating whether the two fires were linked to the other arson attacks and wanted to hear from anyone who had seen a grey 1989 Toyota Corona liftback in the region over the weekend.

This vehicle, which had a registration number of OL4223 and had a missing hub cap on the front left wheel, had been connected to the fire at Wainuiomata Pioneer Church early last night.

"Any sightings of this vehicle over the weekend will assist police in helping to determine whether a link exists," Mr Borrell said.

The first suspicious fire of the weekend was reported at 4pm on Saturday when a rubbish truck was set alight in Adelaide Street in Petone, shortly followed by a fire at Wainuiomata Pioneer Church in Coast Road about 5.30pm.

Firefighters were then called to a fire at Tony's Tyre Service in Porirua about 6.30pm.

At 8.30pm firefighters were called to a blaze at Porirua's Gospel Church, and a bit over an hour later to one at Wainuiomata's Gospel Chapel.

About 12.30am, firefighters were then called to a blaze which engulfed a scout hall in the eastern Wellington suburb of Seatoun.

At 4.10am rubbish set alight at St Alban's Church at Pauatahanui sparked another call out and yesterday morning remnants of a fire at Karori Cemetery Chapel was found.

Yesterday evening another series of suspicious fires were reported to the Fire Service and police.

At 8.50pm a fire was reported at the Horouta Marae in Porirua, then about 9.30pm an empty house was set alight in Porirua and at 10pm fire crews responded to a fire at a portaloo near the Takapu Road Railway Station in Tawa.

The latest fire, at 3.40am today at an empty Tip Top building in Newtown, Wellington, was also being treated as suspicious.

Detective Andrew Compton, of Wellington CIB, said earlier today it was possible that all fires had been lit by the same arsonist.

"It is possible, there is enough gap to drive from location to location."

- NZPA