A member of the public chased an arsonist attempting to set fire to a vacant Waikato building.
Constable Andrew Murphy of Huntly police said the man was driving along River Rd in Ngaruawahia about 6am on Saturday he noticed a person acting suspiciously in a building on the corner of George St.
"A man was seen attempting to set the building alight by using an aerosol can and a lighter by reaching through window slates and setting fire to the curtains," he said.
"The vacant building belongs to the Trangawaewae Marae."
Mr Murphy said the man chased the arsonist away and returned to the building where he smashed the window, ripped down the curtains and put the fire out.
