Bradford Volunteer Café Sustains Damage in Suspected Arson

In Bradford, Peelers’ Café, an establishment managed by elderly volunteers and operated by the Friends of Peel Park community group, sustained damage and was “ransacked” following a suspected arson attack. The venue was reportedly forcibly entered and set alight on Monday morning. Janet Attwood, a volunteer, reported that inventory had been stolen and the café’s interior was left “covered in soot.” West Yorkshire Police confirmed an investigation is underway regarding a suspected arson at the community site, situated in Peel Park, Cliffe Road. Ms Attwood stated, “We have a small group of volunteers.” She added, “I’m the youngest and I’m 60, so it’s not like we are young people with lots of energy between us.” While the café had previously been targeted by vandals in 2017, Ms Attwood described the recent incident as “considerably worse.” She remarked, “They have looted it, they have ransacked it and they have set it on fire.” Ms Attwood continued, “It has just completely obliterated our ability to do anything until the place is fit for purpose again, but I don’t know when it will happen.” She further expressed, “I am disappointed and I am saddened.” A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service stated, “We were called to reports of a building fire in Peel Park.” The spokesperson added, “We sent two crews from Bradford and one from Shipley who used breathing apparatus and hose reels to extinguish the fire.” Authorities requested that anyone with relevant information come forward. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.