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Family watch in horror after arson attack on trampoline
A family's trampoline was set alight in Wimblington, but a fundraiser has since been launched to help replace it. - Credit: Helena Huggins
A family watched in horror as the prized trampoline in their garden burnt out after being set alight by suspected arsonists.
Helena Huggins was called by her daughter after she noticed the trampoline at their home in Wimblington was set on fire at around 9.30pm on Sunday night (October 3).
“I rushed to the kitchen and looked into the garden,” said Helena.
“I saw the trampoline on fire, so I called my neighbour to watch the kids so I could go and look.
“My daughter was crying and was scared for me to go outside.”
With help from her eldest son and a neighbour, Helena was able to put the fire out which left the trampoline in ruins.
“If my daughter did not see it, it could have caught the fence and the situation could have been a lot worse,” she said.
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“It has left us shaken up; my daughter did not want to walk to school on her own.
“My five-year-old luckily was asleep when everything happened so he wasn't scared, just upset someone would do something like this.”
A family's trampoline was set alight in Wimblington, but a fundraiser has since been launched to help replace it. - Credit: Helena Huggins
A family's trampoline was set alight in Wimblington, but a fundraiser has since been launched to help replace it. - Credit: Helena Huggins
Helena, a mother-of-three who has previously been the victim of bike theft, was unable to catch those responsible on CCTV.
But since the ordeal, villagers have donated towards a fundraiser which launched today (Monday) for the family to buy a new trampoline.
A family's trampoline was set alight in Wimblington, but a fundraiser has since been launched to help replace it. - Credit: Helena Huggins
“The fundraiser is lovely and I think the children will be over the moon,” said Helena.
“They also got a tub of sweets from someone to cheer them up.
“I did not want people to think I just wanted money, but it also shows the community of the area look after each other.”
Helena added: “The kindness is amazing and the children will enjoy the trampoline.”
A Cambridgeshire police spokesperson said there were no injuries following the blaze.
They said: “The incident is believed to have taken place just after 9pm and there were not believed to be any injuries.
“An investigation has been launched and anyone with information is urged to contact police via their web chat service: https://bit.ly/3vsiYDw or online forms at: https://www.cambs.police.uk/report/Report quoting reference 35/67489/21.
“Anyone without internet access should call 101. Always dial 999 in an emergency.”
