A MAN has been arrested as part of an investigation into fires at four phone masts including one in Coalpit Heath.

The fires were started in the early hours of Monday (June 9) at masts on Curtis Lane, Stoke Gifford and at Ram Hill near Coalpit Heath. The following night a fire was started at a substation connected to a phone mast on Sir John’s Lane in Bristol.

On two occasions Avon Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene and had to extinguish the fires but one was discovered after it had burnt itself out.

The fourth fire on Coombe Lane in Bristol was discovered on Tuesday afternoon.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Bevan said: “These fires caused serious damage to the masts and affected some radio station broadcasts.

It was also a reckless act - firefighters had to attend and put out fires involving electricity and this presented them with very real dangers. Whoever is responsible has given no thought to the safety of those people. We’re treating these offences very seriously.”

He added: “These masts were in secluded or remote areas and anyone in the area would have looked out of place at that time of night.

“If anyone was driving through the area on those nights and saw anyone suspicious please give us a call as you might have important information which could help us.”

A 33-year-old man, from the greater Bristol area, was arrested last Thursday (June 12) on suspicion of going equipped after his vehicle was stopped by officers in Bradley Stoke. He was taken into custody and subsequently arrested on suspicion of four counts of arson. He has since been released on bail while enquiries continue.

Anyone with any information about the fires is asked to call police on 101.