Two teenage boys from Hemel sentenced after admitting causing devastating Frogmore Paper Mill fire

The boys responsible for the devastating Frogmore Paper Mill fire have been sentenced at court.

Yesterday (23 March) two teenage boys, aged 15, from Hemel Hempstead, were given 12-month referral orders at St Albans Youth Court.

Both admitted to arson charges related to the devastating fire which wrecked the first mechanised paper mill, at an earlier hearing.

The Apsley site, which is 700 sq m, required a round the clock effort from volunteers and staff to save artefacts that were nearly destroyed.

On 22 January, 2022, it took several crews from Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, hours to put out the blaze.

Conditions of the referral order mean that the two culprits must meet with a youth offender panel and participate in community activities, designed to stop future offending.

This is the maximum amount of time a referral order can be imposed for. Also, the 15-year-olds must pay £600 in costs and a victim surcharge of £21

each.

Firefighters received multiple calls regarding the fire during the afternoon from concerned residents who spotted the blaze.

Hertfordshire Constabulary helped secure a perimeter for the fire service and closed nearby roads. A large emergency response was needed to eventually quash the devastating blaze.

Frogmore Paper Mill will forever be changed as a result of the fire, and a substantial amount of the damage was caused to its visitor centre.

Hertfordshire Police discovered the blaze started because the boys had used a lighter to start a fire, which quickly got out of control.

Police investigator Deborah Newsham, from the Dacorum Local Crime Unit, said: “I hope that any young person who is considering playing with fire sees this case and thinks twice.

“This incident demonstrates the consequences of reckless behaviour and although I know the boys involved never meant to cause such devastation, they had no thought for what might happen when they started the fire and how quickly the flames would spread.

“The fire, which was battled by dozens of firefighters, destroyed precious artwork and historic documents from the famous papermill, as well as causing millions of pounds worth of damage. Thankfully no one was injured in the fire.”