Teenagers referred to Youth Aid for fire at old Petone Technical College last Friday night

Five Lower Hutt teenagers are being referred to Youth Aid in connection to a suspicious fire at the old Petone Technical College last Friday evening.

The Fire Service and Police were called to the blaze about 5.30pm on Friday 10 June.

Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Borrell, officer in charge of the Lower Hutt CIB says the five males are aged between 13 and 15 years and have been spoken to by Police.

"I would like to thank members of the public who provided Police with very useful information that has helped us enormously in successfully concluding this investigation."

Police are thankful that none of these five youths were injured or worse in this fire. It appears from a scene examination that the group set some rubbish and flammable items alight. Police believe they fled the scene when it got out of control.

D/S/S Borrell says communities within the Wellington District can be assured that there is not a serial arsonist at work.

"The old Petone Technical College has been the subject of a number of fires over the years, as have other derelict buildings in our area. Buildings such as these can be a crime attractant that pose risk to our communities, as this incident has shown."

"We will be working with the Council and owners to try and formulate effective strategies that lessen such risk."