Friday 11 February 2022

An arson attack on two lorries parked in Swinemoor Lane, Beverley, last September has led to a 27-year-old man being jailed for six years and eight months. Jacob Cooper, who was said to have been living at Minster Garth guest house in the town at the time of the attack, pleaded guilty when he appeared at Hull Crown Court yesterday.

A police spokesman told Beverley FM: “Cases of this nature are extremely rare in the East Riding. But with the help from local residents and businesses who had CCTV images, it wasn’t long before Jacob Cooper was identified as our key suspect. The two vehicles which were set alight were completely destroyed.  It is only a matter of good luck that no one was seriously hurt.”

The court heard Cooper came to Beverley from the South two months before the arson. Convictions for 25 previous offences, including assault, criminal damage, dishonesty, burglary and possessing cannabis were disclosed and the court also dealt with two other outstanding cases – damage to a police cell and an attack on a fellow prisoner while he was in High Down Prison, Surrey.

East Riding councillors have voted to increase Council Tax charges by 3.99 per cent for the next financial year – more than half the rise is to pay for the costs of adult social care. It means a monthly increase of £5.17 for Band D properties but there are also additional charges to be taken into account from Humberside Police, Humberside Fire and Rescue as well as town and parish councils, which are determined separately.

[Full details here]