Arson trial: 'Man seen on CCTV'

12:53pm Wednesday 6th February 2008

A MANAGER told a court how he saw flames and smoke coming from a warehouse.

Andrew Murrells, a manager at Travis Perkins in Robert Way, Wickford, said there was no sign or smell of smoke when he arrived at work at 7.30am, or when he locked up the night before.

A short while after his arrival, Mr Murrells was in his office when Paul Pryke, an employee, rushed into tell him there was a fire in one of the warehouses where timber was being stored.

Pryke, 35, of Tower Avenue, Laindon, denies arson on June 28, 2006.

Yesterday, Mr Murrells told Basildon Crown Court: "The timber boards at the end of the warehouse were on fire.

"There were lots of flames. The warehouse was full of smoke."

He said after the incident, which caused more than £900 damage, he checked the CCTV footage and saw Pryke enter the warehouse where the fire started.

He also told the court Pryke disappeared off the camera for more than two minutes, before reappearing in another warehouse.

Mr Murrells said: "I looked at the CCTV a lot of times and it did not look normal."

He also said that there were two other ways to get from one warehouse to another.

They were both covered by cameras, but he did not see any reason why Pryke would have taken the route he did, which was not covered by cameras.

The trial continues.