Fire At Bedford Hospital Now Being Treated As 'Suspected Arson'

4 January 2019, 11:43 | Updated: 4 January 2019, 11:53

Bedfordshire Police

Police are appealing for witnesses following a suspected arson at Bedford Hospital yesterday evening.

At around 7.15pm, emergency services attended the hospital’s North Wing on Kimbolton Road following reports of a fire at a derelict building on the site.
 
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service units remain at the scene and are continuing to work to make the area safe. The fire did not spread to neighbouring hospital buildings and it is not thought that anyone was injured.
 
Initial enquiries undertaken by officers, alongside colleagues from the fire service, have indicated that the fire may have been started intentionally.
 
Superintendent Jim Lunn said: "We take all reports of arson very seriously, particularly as the fire was so close to operational hospital buildings, and we are continuing to investigate the circumstances of this incident. At the moment we are treating this as deliberate. We are keen to find out why this happened and who is responsible, so I’d urge anyone who has information to come forward."
 
Members of the emergency services are likely to remain at the scene today while enquiries continue, and officers will be undertaking patrols throughout the day to reassure local residents.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or visit bedfordshire.police.uk/report quoting incident 339 of Thursday.

Statement From Bedford Hospital

Following last night’s fire at a vacant building on the Bedford Health Village site all Bedford Hospital NHS Trust Services at Gilbert Hitchcock House will run as normal, with no appointments cancelled.

However, all Moorfields appointments scheduled for today at the Enhanced Services Centre (ESC) in Bedford Health Village will now take place at the South Wing site. If Moorfields appointments cannot take place at the ESC next week, Bedford Hospital will look to open additional clinic space at Gilbert Hitchcock House. Any affected patients will be contacted.

Please be aware that there is currently limited car parking at Gilbert Hitchcock House so, where possible, we would advise patients to consider alternative travel arrangements.