Sheffield arson attacks: No prosecutions in 97 per cent of fires started deliberately in South Yorkshire

Out of 3,231 deliberate fires recorded in the county in the last three years, just 98 of them resulted in a charge or summons.

Meanwhile, more than 2,500 cases were closed because the suspect could not be identified at all.

It means thousands of incidents across the region have ended with those responsible getting away with it.

Criminal injury firm Legal Expert, which produced the figures, says the low charge rate in South Yorkshire is not an anomaly – the data is similar around the country, such as in Essex, where more than 3,000 offences led to just two people being charged.

Home Office statistics shows Sheffield’s Darnall ward sees the most arson attacks.

Darnall was the leading location for arson attacks in the past three years, with 41 offences in 2022, followed by 32 in 2023 and another 26 last year, making 99 attacks in total.

Darnall was followed by another Sheffield ward, Gleadless Valley (93), and the Barnsley ward of Dearne North (87).

And, with a total of 3,231 offences recorded by police, South Yorkshire comes out as among the most prolific arson locations in the country.

It comes after a string of terrifying incidents reported in Beighton and Sothall in February that mirror attacks in 2024, leading residents to believe a serial arsonist is on the loose. A suspect has been arrested and bailed.

Three fires were recorded in three days over February 23 and 25. The three locations were all within one square mile of one another, and saw wheelie bins set on fire and pushed up against homes, leading to hundreds of thousands of pounds of damage.

A serious blaze gutted Woodhouse Court on July 30, 2024, when a bin was deliberately set on fire, with flames spreading indoors.

One Beighton resident in Tye Road was targeted four times in 2025, starting with someone repeatedly melting the sensor on their electric gate before finally accessing their bike shed and setting fire to their paper recycling bin.

A man was arrested in February 2025 for the three most recent fires and bailed pending further investigation.

Sheffield South East Neighbourhood Inspector Katie Hammond said: “Incidents involving arson can be extremely frightening for victims and communities. Neighbourhood Policing Teams will often respond by providing increased visibility in the local area whilst investigating officers work hard to follow all lines of enquiry within the community and the fire service’s findings.

“Arson investigations are often more reliant on CCTV, video doorbell, and dash cam images, as forensic opportunities can be limited compared to other crime investigations.

“In February 2025, we launched an investigation into a series of arsons in the Beighton area of Sheffield – the latest one being on 25 February. On 26 February, a man was arrested and bailed. The investigation is very much ongoing and any evidence will be presented to the Crown Prosecution Service at the earliest opportunity.”

How many incidents of arson in South Yorkshire ended with no one charged?

Home Office statistics released in January indicate that just 4.4 per cent of criminal damage and arson offenders were charged or summonsed in the year ending September 2024.

Meanwhile, just under two out of three investigations across the country were closed because the suspects were not identified.

South Yorkshire Police’s data shows that 2,584 arson offences were closed because the crime had been investigated as much as reasonably possible, but no suspect could be found. It means that 80 per cent of arson investigations went nowhere.

In a further 223 cases, the victim supported police action and the suspect was identified, but evidential difficulties scuppered the prosecution attempt.

As a result, thousands of potential arsonists evaded justice, many after putting lives in danger. 760 of the recorded offences came under the code ‘arson endangering life’, and South Yorkshire Police noted 28 occasions where the victim was harmed.

In addition to the 98 people charged with arson, 18 were charged with a different offence, while ‘positive outcomes’ in the form of cautions or community resolutions were achieved in another 28 cases.

What can victims of arson do?

Despite the string of arson attacks in Sheffield, there have been no reports of any being seriously hurt as a result recently.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is a government-supported agency which compensates injured victims or families of those killed in violent crimes.

Legal Expert found that 464 arson victims sought a payment through the agency’s compensation scheme across the three years. However, only 76 received a payment, with just 17 successful claims made in 2024.

Those successful received a total of £102,260, working out at £1,345.53 per claim on average. Just £2,400 has been paid out so far for the 79 claims launched in 2024.

Legal Expert criminal injury specialist Ellie Lamey said: “It's incredible that so few people have made a claim when thousands and thousands of arson offences have affected lives around the country. With charge rates also being low, victims might be wondering how to get some form of justice.

“Victims who have sustained injuries, whether physical or psychological, due to violent crimes like arson have the right to seek compensation, and they don't have to wait for someone to be charged or convicted of the offence to do so.”