Police are investigating a suspected arson attack that has devastated a woodland paintball business.

People living near Powerplay in Clifton Woods at Brighouse raised the alarm after seeing flickering flames coming from the trees near their homes on Tuesday night.

The blaze, which happened just before 10pm on Tuesday, swept through a wooden compound used as a hospitality and admin area by businessman Steve Bull and his staff who have been left devastated and out of pocket.

Mr Bull, who has run the paintball and laser tag venture there for the past ten years, said it had to be an arson attack. He said: “There’s no other explanation. It can’t have been an electrical fault because we don’t have any electricity. There’s no other explanation other than someone did it deliberately. Apart from that I don’t have a clue.”

Mr Bull said when the business was left secure earlier that day after a session for Bradford Youth Service, everything was normal.

“The first thing I knew was when a resident who lives near the centre texted me to say the place was on fire,” said Mr Bull who dashed from his home in Rochdale to get there.

When staff arrived at the centre yesterday morning they were reduced to tears.

“There’s nothing left of the compound which was the centre of it all really with five buildings round a seating area,” said Mr Bull.

“There’s not even any posts to left to re-build with. It’s a miracle the woods didn’t go down with it because everything’s been so dry.”

A police spokesman confirmed the blaze was being investigated and a cause was still being established.

  • Read the full story in Thursday's T&A