THE news this week that police have decided to take no �further action against three teenagers arrested for allegedly starting the fire at St Mary’s Church in March have left them with an uphill battle to catch those responsible.

The blaze, which caused in the region of �2million damage to the 19th-century church, was more than three months ago.

Several members of this �newspaper’s team remember witnessing the flames tear through the picturesque church and, with it, shared the anguish of the clergy and worshippers who watched on that day.

On Monday, police decided to take no further action against the boys, aged 16, 14 and 13, because there was insufficient evidence.

But hours later it emerged that the three teenagers were arrested because one of them joked to friends at Neale-Wade Community College that he and the other two boys were the arsonists.

Police were right to follow their lead. Nobody knows who told �officers about this joke, but it was swift action on their behalf to arrest the boys a few days after the fire.

However, their release will raise questions about whether police will ever catch those responsible and why it took three months to decide to take no further action against these boys.

Our hope is that someone will now come forward and reveal who the real culprit is (or culprits are) and put and end to the doubt that this �revelation will cause.

In the meantime, work �continues to rebuild St Mary’s, and the community spirit which has seen thousands of pounds raised for the church already is admirable.

March – indeed, Fenland – is the envy of neighbouring towns for this fantastic support.