Cheshire arsonist sets himself on fire

An arsonist who tried to torch a pub set himself on fire, CCTV footage released by Cheshire Fire Service has revealed.

Michael Morgan, 33, of West Road, Congleton, was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment for reckless arson on 16 December 2011 at Chester Crown Court.

Morgan admitted an arson attack on The Club in Congleton on 1 August.  The attack video was issued by the fire service as part of its arson reduction campaign.

Colin Heyes, Cheshire Fire Service's arson reduction manager, said the CCTV "clearly shows how dangerous this sort of reckless behaviour can be".

"It was fortunate that there was nobody in the property at the time of the fire," he said.

Mr Heyes added: "The person in the footage ended up going to prison for this crime. Arson costs the taxpayers millions and more importantly it costs people their lives. I would urge anyone who sees someone involved in this sort of crime to report it."