Fatal fire was caused by torched wheelie bin

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A FIRE which led to the death of a man at his Warndon flat was started by a torched wheelie bin, it was revealed last night.

The killing of Andrew Heath after an arson attack on his home on Chedworth Close featured on BBC One’s Crimewatch.

A reconstruction showed how Mr Heath, 52, called 999 after realising he was trapped by the fire, which happened at about 4am on December 14. The show also featured interviews with his family, friends and neighbours.

During the programme DCI Paul Williamson, who is leading the murder investigation, revealed the blaze was started by a wheelie bin being set alight and pushed into the porch of his home.

He also revealed a group of people were heard hanging around outside Mr Heath’s flat in the early hours before the fire started.

Speaking to Crimewatch presenter Kirsty Young, DCI Williamson said: "Someone may have deliberately set out to kill Andrew or it may have been to scare and upset him.

"From the positioning of the bin in his porch blocking his exit after he returned home it's clear that this has the hallmarks of a personal attack on him. Whoever set the fire must have known the devastating consequences their actions would have. I need to know why this happened to Andrew and get answers for Andrew's family and friends."

Police are also trying to trace a man seen walking a small black dog at about 3.30am and someone on a bike who cycled past not long before the fire was reported. Both are considered to be important witnesses.

West Mercia Police is offering a reward of £10,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for his death.

DCI Williamson added: "We continue to have a dedicated, 40-strong team of officers working to find Andrew's killer and part of our determination to solve the crime is raising its profile with a reconstruction on Crimewatch.

"I would like to thank all those at Crimewatch for all their efforts and I hope it will help our search for Andrew's killer.

"It's not uncommon for murder investigations to take time and I would like to thank the patience of the local community. We will persevere until we found out what happened to Andrew."

Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.