Fire at Hare Hill Bowling Club being treated as arson

Photo: Peter Reed

Firefighters on scene at Hare Hill Bowling Club

A fire at Hare Hill Bowling Club is being treated as arson.

Firefighters spent an hour tackling a fire at the Hare Hill Bowling Club in Littleborough on Monday afternoon (4 April).

The roof of a seating shelter at the Town House Road green is understood to have been set alight by teenage boys with the fire service attending at around 1.10pm.

A spokesperson for GMFRS said: “The fire involved the roof of a pavilion building next to a bowling green. Firefighters used a hose reel, a short extension ladder and other specialist equipment to extinguish the fire. Fire crews were in attendance for around one hour.”

Greater Manchester Police has confirmed the incident is being treated as arson but no arrests have been made.

The fire comes just days after three windows at the nearby Hare Hill House were smashed; it is unknown if the incidents are linked.

Replacing the shelter is estimated by a Hare Hill House volunteer to cost around £2,000 with repairs to the windows and frames at the historic 18th-century mansion expected to cost “hundreds.”

Anyone with information about the fire should contact GMP online via LiveChat, if able, or call 101 quoting incident 1534 of 04/04/2022.