3 Jun 2025
Four teenagers have been arrested in connection to the blaze which spread on a retail park.
Vet Times
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Fire crews in the earlier stages of tackling the blaze on Saturday. Image: Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Pets at Home has thanked emergency services for the response after a store in Northampton was set ablaze in a large fire.
The fire at St James Retail Park spread to the Pets at Home store, which housed a Vets for Pets practice, from the Dunelm next door.
Police have arrested four teenagers on suspicion of arson in connection with the fire.
Three were arrested in the hours following the incident on Saturday 31 May – two boys aged 15 and 14 have been released on bail pending further enquiries, while a 13-year-old boy was released with no further action. Another 14-year-old boy was arrested on Tuesday (3 June).
Emergency services were called to the scene off Towcester Road just after 3pm, and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service remain on-site.
A Pets at Home spokesperson said: “We’d like to thank the emergency services and our colleagues at Nene Valley Retail Park who responded to fire spreading rapidly from the neighbouring Dunelm store and took swift action to move customers and pets to safety.
“We are supporting our team through this difficult time and thank customers and clients for their support and understanding.
“We will also continue to help the police with their ongoing investigation.”
The company is assisting impacted clients to help them find alternative appointments.
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue said no casualties had been reported and that there were 11 fire crews and vehicles attending at the height of the fire, including crews from Buckinghamshire and Lincolnshire as well as two aerial vehicles.
Speaking on Saturday, detective chief inspector Andrew Tuff said: “At the present time, we believe this fire to have been started deliberately and throughout the day.”
He appealed for members of the public who may have witnessed anything suspicious to come forward, adding: “This incident has not only caused significant damage and disruption but will have had a very serious effect on the well-being of the local people who work in Dunelm and the surrounding stores.”
