Vandal-hit skip firm offers £10k reward

A business owner whose Bilston skip hire firm has been targeted by metal thieves and arsonists dozens of times over the past year today offered a £10,000 reward for help in catching the yobs behind the attacks.

Desperate Tim Wright has put up the cash reward following the latest arson attack, which saw a temporary office unit set on fire. A passer-by spotted the flames at Wright Brothers in Withy Lane and called fire crews who rushed to the scene at around 1am yesterday morning.

Over the past 12 months the business has been stripped of thousands of pounds worth of metal and windows have been smashed by yobs who have damaged machinery inside.

The fire comes just four months after another arson attack, which gutted a temporary office at the site.

Mr Wright said today: "We have stopped reporting all of the things that happen because it just doesn't seem worth it any more and nothing seems to get done.

"Over the past year we have been targeted lots of times and I really want the people behind it to be found.

"It is starting to feel as though it is personal now.

"We have had a couple of thousand pounds worth of metal stolen in various different break-ins and the two arson attacks.

"The damage is not too bad this time because thankfully somebody saw the fire and called to report it.

"It would have been totally gutted if they hadn't got there so soon.

"I am now putting out a reward of £10,000 to give people an incentive to report information if they've got any."

West Midlands Fire Service spokesman Mike Fox said crews from Bilston and Tipton were called out to the blaze and spent around half-an-hour putting out the flames.

"We are treating it as arson," he added.

In October last year arsonists set fire to two portable cabins in the yard.

The reward is for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the thefts and arson attacks.

To help, call the police on 0845 113 5000.