"It was like Beirut" - Talbot landlord on this morning's arson attack (From Ledbury Reporter)

"It was like Beirut" - Talbot landlord on this morning's arson attack

11:39am Saturday 28th March 2009

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ANDY Ward, landlord of the Talbot Inn, has spoken to the Ledbury Reporter following this morning's suspected arson attack on his pub.

He said: "I was up at about 1.50am to 2pm and I smelt it. I looked out the window and saw the reflection in the shop window opposite. I thought it was the room below that was on fire.

"I did the alarm and called the fire brigade. We came down at the back of the building thinking we could get out through the archway, but the cars were on fire, so we had to go through the pub.

"Tyres were going off, it was a bit like Beruit."

The fire seems to have been started in a Renault Clio and Nissan 200SX owned by Mr Ward and his wife Maria.

Mr Ward continued: "The guests have been brilliant. Some people are just very glad to be alive. It's shown me the value of human life, it's certainly much more important than material things.

"It's perhaps the time to get more cameras and a bit more police presence at weekends. It's building up more and more and we could have lost two lives, or four lives last night.

"I'm totally shocked and horrified that people are so narrow minded. They will be caught and they will be heavily dealt with. It's life-threatening.

"Everyone has been so nice and helpful, offering us a place to stay. Everyone has been very understanding.

"[The fire brigade] have just managed to save our flat. The smoke damage is amazing."

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