WATCH: Youths start fire with petrol pumps at Top 50 Indie forecourt

Officers from Devon and Cornwall police are on the lookout for two adolescent males who carried out an arson attempt at a filling station in South Molton, Devon.

The incident took place at around 11pm on Tuesday, October 27 and saw the two young men, who had been previously banned from the site, enter the forecourt shop at South Milton Services and initially refuse to leave.

The youths then damaged the shop’s night hatch before heading out onto the forecourt, take a nozzle and, while the pump was not authorised, drizzle what fuel remained in the hose onto the ground before igniting it.

One of the young men appears to singe his hand in the process of lighting the fuel, before apparently having a brief moment of clarity and making a failed attempt to stamp out the fire.

The perpetrators fled the site as staff went out onto the forecourt to tackle the small blaze, after which both police and the fire brigade attended.

South Molton Services was acquired by Top 50 Indie VST Forecourts in September 2025, and the firm subsequently spent £300,000 improving the site, kitting it out with new pumps, lines and canopy.

VST boss Vijay Jaganathan told Forecourt Trader: “Two teenage boys, believed to be under 16 and previously banned from the premises, entered the shop despite being told not to. Staff escorted them out and locked the shop.

“The boys then removed the unleaded nozzle from Pump six, poured the remaining fuel onto the forecourt and set it on fire. One of them also attempted to use the remaining diesel from the same pump to increase the flames.

“Our two staff members immediately intervened, chased the boys away and extinguished the fire. They contacted 999, and both police and fire services attended. Formal statements were provided and CCTV footage was handed over to the authorities. As a precaution, the fuel pump nozzles were secured and locked to prevent further misuse.

“Thankfully, nobody was injured. However, this was an extremely serious incident that could have resulted in catastrophic consequences. We are fully cooperating with the authorities.”