28-06-2025
Arsonist torched £70k as riots erupted across the UK
A man has been jailed after torching a school bus during riots which erupted across the UK last summer.
Joshua Sigley was charged after a spate of arson attacks in his hometown.
The 25 year-old of St Chads Fields, Winsford, appeared at Chester Crown Court and was sentenced to three years after pleading guilty to three counts of arson in Winsford.
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His co-accused, Peter Towers, 31, of Rosemary Crescent, Winsford, will be sentenced for this case at a later date, on Friday 15 August 2025.
On August 4, 2024, Cheshire Police were alerted to three deliberate fires which had been started in Winsford between the hours of 3pm and 11pm.
They were in High Street, Queensway, and Ford Court. Members of the public reporting the fires described seeing two men, matching the descriptions of Sigley and Towers.
The fire on High Street was started using rubbish placed on the ground and a green jerry can filled with petrol. CCTV footage obtained from a petrol station showed Towers arriving on a bike and filling a green jerry can with petrol and making payment.
Dashcam footage then showed Towers meeting with Sigley just minutes later. A school bus was completely destroyed after being set on fire in Queensway, resulting in £70,000 worth of damage.
Two men matching Sigley and Towers' description were then seen trying to set fire to trees near to Ford Court. Both men were subsequently arrested at an address in Winsford on Sunday 4 August 2024 and later charged.
Detective Inspector Ross Hamilton said: "Sigley's actions were incredibly dangerous, fuelled by the national disorder last summer, and could easily have ended up injuring someone, or even worse.
'I welcome the custodial sentence which has been handed to him; to target a school bus and cause £70,000 worth of damage is shocking. The sentence handed down to Sigley should serve as a strong reminder of how serious these crimes are regarded and robust action will be taken against anyone who chooses to behave in this manner.'
