Monday, March 1, 2010
FEAR KEEPS GOOD NEIGHBOURS QUIET
Elderly couple die in house blaze after thugs set fire to mobility scooter
By Daily Mail Reporter
An elderly couple died in their blazing home after thugs set fire to a mobility scooter parked on their porch, it emerged today.
Albert and Kath Adams, both 77, were asleep in their home in Rugby, Warwickshire, when the fire broke out at 2.50am on Saturday.
It is believed they became trapped in the burning house after the yobs, who the couple had previously challenged over loutish behaviour, returned for revenge.
Fatal blaze: Police believe a group of yobs set Mr Adams' mobility scooter alight as revenge for his noise complaints
The couple were rescued by firefighters and taken to Coventry's University Hospital suffering from severe smoke inhalation but Mr Adams died hours later.
His wife, who was in a critical condition, died 24 hours later yesterday afternoon.
The street where Mr and Mrs Adams live is home to 34 pensioners living in sheltered housing which is staffed by wardens.
However, neighbours say the area has been targeted by yobs in recent weeks.
Some residents claim the couple had previously stood up to a gang of teenagers for playing loud music and threatening elderly residents.
Early this morning, as police continued their investigation into the attack, a second mobility scooter parked outside nearby flats was set alight.
One neighbour, a woman in her 80s, said: 'It's disgusting. We've never had a problem like this before.
'Over the last few weeks it's got really bad. I've been kept up awake at night with the noise. Gangs of them would shout abuse at people and play loud music at all hours.
Second fire: This mobility scooter was torched early this morning, just hours after Mrs Adams lost her fight for life
'It used to be such a peaceful area. I know that a few of the neighbours had problems with this as well.'
She paid tribute to Mr and Mrs Adams, saying they tried to address the problem: 'Kath and Albert were not the type of people to stand for it. They tried to tackle the yobs but they just got verbally abused by them.'
Kevin White, 65, who also lives in the street, added: 'They were a lovely couple. We always chatted on a Sunday morning. It's just so sad, I can't believe it. It's a massive shock.
'If it was kids being bloody stupid they obviously did not foresee how terrible things would become. They certainly did not deserve to exit life in this way.'
Police believe the fatal fire started after someone torched Mr Adams's mobility scooter, which was parked on the couple's porch.
Two flats were evacuated after this morning's blaze and police say they are linking the two attacks.
A spokesman for Warwickshire Police said: 'We are now treating both incidents as arson and believe that they may be connected.
This article could well be written in a local newspaper but comes from Daily Mail in UK. How sad.
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