Police were called by the fire service at 2.40am this morning, Saturday, February 6, to reports that three huts were on fire.

There was nobody inside any of the beach huts and no one was injured during the incident.

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Picture by Simon Mugan

The police also discovered that 30 beach huts had been broken into, but it is not yet clear if anything has been stolen.

Due to the police cordon, this is as close as I can get to the huts, but this video shows the extent of the damage @Bournemouthecho pic.twitter.com/OGqn5XNupq

— Maya (@Echo_Maya) February 6, 2021

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The fire service was called at 2.08am and arrived at the scene at 2.34am.

There were four pumps in attendance along with an officer.

The last pump left the scene at 4.48am.

Photo by Simon Mugan

Simon Mugan, a local resident, was out walking his dog along the beach when he saw the damage.

He said: "I was out walking my dog in our usual place about 8am this morning when I found the area had been cordoned off. The huts on the beach side have all their doors and windows smashed in.

"When I saw the cordon, I saw the full extent of what had happened. There were a couple of police officers there keeping people away.

"It would be useful if they had CCTV down there." 

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A full investigation is underway and a cordon is currently in place to allow for a thorough examination of the scene to take place. 

The beach huts cost around £300,000 each.

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Detective Inspector Andrew Kennard, of Bournemouth CID, said: "There has been considerable damage caused to a large number of beach huts and I would like to reassure the community that we are carrying out detailed enquiries into the incident.

Photo by Simon Mugan

"I am appealing to anyone who was in the area and either witnessed what happened or saw any suspicious activity to please get in touch.

“I would also urge residents in the nearby surrounding area to check their home CCTV systems for any relevant footage to assist my investigation."

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A BCP Council spokesperson: "We know this will be worrying news for all beach hut users at Mudeford, and particularly upsetting for those with the most damaged huts.

"We are supporting the emergency services and will assist the investigations in any way that we can. We are contacting affected beach hut owners and would ask the public to avoid the area this weekend and respect the police cordon.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55210022214.

Alternatively, to stay anonymous, contact Crimestoppers online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or call Freephone 0800 555 111.