Children evacuated from football pitch after fire breaks out in suspected arson attack

The fire that broke out at Hailsham Town Football Club on Tuesday night is being treated as ‘suspected deliberate ignition’

Brave parents move play equipment way from the inferno at Halisham Football Club (Hailsham Cricket Club )

Dozens of young footballers were evacuated after a fire swept through their training pitch in Sussex, with the blaze being treated as a suspected arson attack.

Two lines of trees at Hailsham Town Football Club’s recreation ground were engulfed in flames on Tuesday night. The blaze spread to a stand where children had been sitting after a training session.

East Sussex Fire Brigade and Sussex Police are both treating the fire as a “suspected deliberate ignition”.

Rob Wilkinson, of Hailsham Cricket Club, one of the first responders to the scene, said he got a phone call at 7pm to get down to the playing fields to let firefighters in.

He told The Independent: “It was frightening, the size of it definitely took me by surprise.

“The closest people were training and smelt smoke first of all.

“When I got there 10 minutes later the hedge was well on its way. It had spread at least 40 feet and the football stand caught on fire.”

He said the volunteer-run site which is home to football, cricket and tennis clubs was always busy.

The fire is thought to be deliberate (Hailsham Cricket Club)

He said: “It was lucky there were 15 or 20 of us who managed to get in there and get some of the junior goal posts to safety.

“Hailsham Harriers were running, the junior football team had just finished training and were sat in the stands when it went up”, he added.

“There was not much we could do.

“It was going to burn, burn, burn until the fire brigade got there. We just had to get people to safety and keep them back. Being a teacher it came in handy before the firefighters took over.”

Locals fear the fire is the latest act of a campaign of vandalism against the club.

Mr Wilkinson added: “One of the bins in front of the pavilion was burned on Friday. We haven’t had a fire at the recreation centre in 20 years from what anyone can remember but now to have two fires in three days is unheard of. There is a bigger picture to all this.

“It’s just a kick in the teeth really.

“We are all volunteers, we earn money from donations and it is such a shame that instead of buying equipment for the kids we’re spending it on scrubbing up graffiti and fixing damages now. It’s such a shame.

“The whole community will come together football, cricket, runners we all work within 20 metres of each other and we will look out for each other. It won’t stop us but it is hard to take.”

A Hailsham Town Football Club statement posted images of the aftermath of the blaze to Facebook on Wednesday morning. “Fortunately the damage was limited to the hedge and stand bearing the brunt of the fire,” they said.

“I wish to add my appreciation to the fire brigade and the volunteers who turned up to move the junior goalposts out of harm’s way. “

An East Sussex Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “The incident is being treated as suspected deliberate ignition and police enquiries are ongoing. There were no reports of any injuries. The fire was out by 8.05pm and the incident was handed over to the police.”

A Sussex Police spokesman added: “The incident is being treated as suspected deliberate ignition and our enquiries are ongoing.” To donate to the Hailsham Town FC crowdfunder click here.