VIDEO: How the Robin Cousins sports centre was torched
This footage shows two men in balaclavas who started the blaze at the Robin Cousins sports centre in Shirehampton.
The arsonists can clearly be seen with a petrol can and feeding the fire with planks of wood.
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The fire-ravaged Robin Cousins sports centre in Bristol
The sports centre's owner, Bristol businessman Lee Adams, is desperately keen to see the arsonists caught and brought to justice.
He is urging anyone with information to contact the police on 101.
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Police confirmed that the fire was deliberately after the gutted ruins were examined by fire experts.
Mr Adams, who used the sports centre as a store for his garden furniture business, also runs a CCTV camera firm.
He had a number of cameras at the site as a security measure.
Mr Adams was insured on his garden furniture stock which he valued at £100,000 but the building was not insured.
He said its replacement value was about £1 million.
He said he had no idea why arsonists would want to torch the premises.
He said: "There are all sorts of rumours flying around including that it was an insurance job but I only had the stock insured, not the building.
"One of the theories flying around is because of talk about the premises being turned into a mosque or it might be personal against me but to be honest, I just don't know.
"I just want to see these arsonists caught."
5 Comments
by Gibson22
Saturday, March 09 2013, 10:06AM
“The Robin Cousins Sport Centre was closed by the council in December 2005. The property was marketed and received interest from sports groups, but a sale did not take place and the building has remained vacant for seven years.
The local planning authority was satisfied that all avenues had been explored to try and retain it for community use prior to the sale/disposal of the site.
The person who bought it used the sport centre as a child and was due to spend a lot of money to bring the derelict building back into use, albeit not as a sports centre but as his business premises. The plans were carefully considered to involve and try to please the local community. He sponsored the football team next door and would have providing employment opportunities for local people. Who knows what it will end up being now.”
by TheShire
Friday, March 08 2013, 1:36PM
“Sad that at a a time when the Olympic Legacy is supposed to be encouraging us all to do more sports, all Bristol is doing is either neglecting it's sports facilities or closing them down.
I'll bet this site will now be closed and houses\flats built, just like the Shirehampton swimming pool.”
by Roversteve
Friday, March 08 2013, 12:59PM
“No, definitely sadder that a sport's venue is used as it was until it's death.When we try as hard as we can to get new stadia for our professional teams any sports venue is worth it's weight and should not be used as it was! Then this is Bristol I suppose.”
by throwaway_12
Friday, March 08 2013, 11:17AM
“sadder still that a couple of thugs prevented new jobs coming to our area...”
by The_Ghost
Friday, March 08 2013, 10:59AM
“sad that a former sports centre was being used as a storage area for garden furniture”