Girl, 14, arrested on suspicion of arson after manor house blaze

A 14-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a blaze at a Grade I-listed manor house.

Merseyside Police said the fire at Woolton Hall, Liverpool, on Tuesday evening “appears to have been an extremely reckless act” after the force had reports that a large number of youths were seen gathering nearby.

Detective Inspector Daniel McWhinnie said: “This appears to have been an extremely reckless act at a historic building that has stood at the site for hundreds of years.

“We know the community will be rightly shocked by what happened and we are determined to find all those responsible.”

The force is appealing for anyone who was there, knows who was there, or parents whose children were out that night to come forward.

The hall, which is privately owned, was built in 1704.

Local campaigners have been calling for it to be saved for a number of years over the condition of the building.

In 2019, fire crews were called to tackle a suspected arson attack in outbuildings and worked to prevent the blaze spreading to the main building.