Man pleads guilty to arson after park fires

A man has pleaded guilty to arson after setting several fires in east London the day after the government sent out an emergency alert warning of the heightened risk of wildfires.

Isaac Shozi, 50, of Bodney Road, Hackney, admitted starting the fires but denied a more serious charge of arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered.

He is accused of starting "a number of fires" in London Fields, an area of parkland owned by Hackney Council, on 15 August.

He was remanded in custody after the hearing at Wood Green Crown Court, where he is due to appear again on 12 October.

Outlining the charges in court, prosecution barrister Justin Bearman said: "It was a number of fires set in a parkland, which, because of the particular weather conditions at the time, had the possibility of flaring up to cause a potential risk to life."

He added that the fires were set "at a time which an emergency government warning had gone out".

On 14 August, the government sent out an alert to millions of people warning them against "any activity that could start a fire" while there was a "very high risk of wildfires nationally".

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