By Meryl Tobin
A PERSON in a dark-coloured hoodie and baggy dark track pants raced out of the toilet block at the Harold Hughes Reserve in Corinella last Thursday around 10.20am.
Shortly afterwards pungent black smoke billowed out above the doors of the five toilets.
Coincidentally, at the same time, Steve, the team leader of Bass Coast Shire Council Open Space Maintenance, was driving past the reserve. He saw the smoke, stopped to investigate and rang Triple 000. Minutes later, Corinella CFA member, Mick Hamilton, drove up in the Corinella fire engine. He put out the fire. A second firefighter turned up shortly afterwards and later a third in a second fire engine.
Signs indicated a fire bug had set fire to a toilet roll in its dispenser in the third toilet cubicle from the Balcombe Street entrance to the park. It and its plastic dispenser were completely burned and the wall behind was badly scorched.
Witnesses shared what they had seen with authorities. The perpetrator of the crime was described as a young male teenager.
Those unwittingly involved were left asking why a young person would commit such an anti-social act with such potentially dangerous consequences.
