A BITTER former employee has been jailed for arson over a fire he started at a Wetherspoon pub after he was sacked.

William Morris appeared before Chester Crown Court to be sentenced after previously pleading guilty to arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered.

The court heard that, during the early hours of Friday, October 21, 2022, Cheshire Police received a report from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

This was of a suspected deliberate ignition fire at The Ferry Boat JD Wetherspoon pub on Church Street in Runcorn.

CCTV from the venue showed a man setting a fire at the rear of the premises.

Staff at the venue soon recognised this male to be Morris – who had previously been employed by the venue, but he had been dismissed the previous month.

Once he was identified, the 32-year-old was promptly arrested by officers at his home address.

Clothing was seized from his bedroom which matched the description of the clothing seen on the CCTV, along with a mobile phone.

During his interview, Morris denied the allegations and told officers he was at home when the offence took place.

The fire occurred at The Ferry Boat Wetherspoon pub in Runcorn (Image: Google Maps)

However, following telecommunications analysis, officers were able to disprove Morris’ initial account as his phone was shown to be near the area of where the incident took place.

It was established that the total cost of the damage to a bin shed, bins, metal cages and cask barrelled kegs caused by Morris amounted to £1,385.

Following the incident, Cheshire Fire and Rescue stated that had the fire developed further, it would have had the potential to spread further to adjoining premises, posing a risk to life for residents.

Appearing in court, Morris, of Boston Avenue in Runcorn, was sentenced by judge Simon Berkson to 32 months immediate imprisonment.

In addition to his sentence, he was also issued with a seven-year restraining order prohibiting him from returning to the pub.

The sentence was welcomed by PC Morgan Bower, who said: “I am very pleased that this case has concluded, and the sentence Morris has received shows the gravity of his crime.

“Despite Morris initially denying the offence, significant evidence was obtained, leaving him no choice but to plead guilty.

“I hope Morris uses this time behind bars to reflect on the recklessness of his actions.

“I also hope the sentence handed to Morris deters others from committing similar offences – you will be caught, and you will be brought to justice.”