William Prate charged after explosion on new Skelmanthorpe …

A man has been charged with arson after a vehicle exploded in a Kirklees[1] street this week.

At 12pm on Monday, July 31, West Yorkshire Police (WYP)[2] officers raced to Jacquard Road, off Cumberland Road in Skelmanthorpe following reports of an explosion, which destroyed a car. Now, police have confirmed a 28-year-old man from Batley[3], William Prate, has been charged with arson.

The explosion saw homes being evacuated on the new-build estate, which is still under construction. Armed police and the force’s bomb squad cordoned off the street, alongside other “specialist agencies” working in West Yorkshire.

A force spokesperson issued an update yesterday (Friday, August 4), saying: “Police investigating an incident in which a car was damaged in Skelmanthorpe have charged a man with arson.

“William Pratt, aged 28, of Station Road, Batley was remanded in custody to appear before Leeds magistrates today (Friday August 4).

“The charge relates to an incident in Jacquard Road on Monday, 31 July.”

Superintendent Helen Brear of Kirklees Police, said: “I want to thank residents for their understanding and patience while this operation was carried out. We also apologise for any disruption it may have caused.

“The deployment of specialist resources may understandably have caused some concern but it is entirely normal for them to attend at a location in such circumstances in order to take every precaution possible to ensure public safety.”

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References

  1. ^ Kirklees (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
  2. ^ West Yorkshire Police (WYP) (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
  3. ^ Batley (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
  4. ^ Man ‘aims crossbow at police’ in Sheffield then does a runner through woods as street locked down (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
  5. ^ here (www.examinerlive.co.uk)