YOUTHS are being blamed for a spate of fires and malicious calls to the fire brigade in the early hours of this morning.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service were called out to three separate incidents all within the same area of Hereford between 1.25am and 2.38am.

The first, at 125am, was to a fire on open ground in the vicinity of Grandstand Road.

Then, 13 minutes later they were called to a house fire, again in Grandstand Road. When they arrived they found it had been a malicious call.

At 2.38am they received the third call, this time to a wooden sports pavilion alight in Chatsworth Road.

The fire destroyed the 20m by 6m pavilion.

Alec Mackie, spokesman for the fire service, said youths were seen running from the scene.

The fire comes just a month after arsonists torched the main stand at Westfields FC's allpay.park stadium in Widemarsh Common, Hereford.