Officers are investigating two reports of suspected arson in the grounds of Sunderland Royal Hospital.
The incidents happened at 5.10pm and 11.30pm on Saturday, March 18, at the site on Kayll Road. On both occasions, it was reported that an offender set fire to an external building in the hospital’s car park, causing damage inside and to the door.
Emergency services attended both times and the fires were extinguished. Nobody was injured.
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A full investigation is ongoing into the cause of the fires, which police believe to be suspected arson. Officers are currently treating both reports as linked.
A 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with the investigation. He has since been released on police bail pending further enquiries.
Now Northumbria Police are appealing to the public for information. As part of the investigation, they have also released a description of a key witness who may have seen what happened in the first report and has not yet spoken to police.
Officers believe there was a male witness wearing dark clothing, and a black hat, holding a bright orange shopping bag in the area of Kayll Road at around 5pm. It is believed the witness had left the hospital via the Department of Renal Medicine entrance/exit and walked towards Hylton Road before stopping next to the transportation building.
He is then understood to have engaged with the suspect who was on the grounds, before leaving the area on foot. Anyone with information that could assist the investigation, or saw what happened, is asked to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of the police website or by calling 101 quoting crime number: 034147A/23.
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