Mystery as arsonists target items left out for collection in Inner West suburb
A Sydney suburb has been targed in a series of arson attacks after locals left out items for a local giveaway group.
Locals in Leichardt, in the city's Inner West, took to a community social media group to reveal items classified as 'street bounty', including a couch, boxes and a mattress, had been set alight.
It is understood there were up to three different incidents on Sunday.
One woman warned others to be careful where they place pay-it-forward items out.
'Anyone with things outside their house as bounty or council pick up items: beware, I just had some small items set alight outside my house in Leichardt,' she wrote.
'The fire brigade was called and they said it was the 3rd one this afternoon.
'Then another pile of things was (sic) alight around the corner.'
A spokesperson for Fire and Rescue NSW told NewsWire there was no information on how the fires started but the most likely cause was deliberate.
Just after 3.40pm firefighters responded to a lounge on fire on the side of the road on Percival Street.
A nearby vehicle was damaged by the heat.
A short time later, at about 4.30pm, they extinguished a rubbish fire on Albert Street and at 4.50pm, another on National Street.
Police confirmed they attended the fires to determine whether they were suspicious.
Numerous residents said they had also seen sporadic fires across the streets of Leichardt.
'I walked past a house tonight where someone had set alight the council pickup,' one resident said.
'The homeowners had just arrived home to find it.'
A second added: 'We saw some boxes alight this afternoon after soccer on MacKenzie Street.'
'(A) bag of stuff was on fire in (the) park on the corner of Elswick and William St,' another wrote.
'It looks like a mattress or something has been set on fire on the footpath at the top of Hill St near Balmain Rd,' a fourth said.
'Dumped office chair and a bag of junk set alight on corner Albert/Elswick this afternoon,' another local said.
'The Firies said they had just put out another similar fire and there were more yesterday.'
Many were shocked to see that items that had been left out in acts of goodwill, had been destroyed.
Others saw the lighter side of the situation, writing: 'Someone's been arson around'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘Human tragedy': Half of homeless Aussie youth asking for help get turned away
Half of young homeless Australians asking for a place to sleep are being turned away, figures from a leading NSW not-for-profit show, with one woman who got lucky in a 'million-to-one' chance now pushing for change. NSW organisation Yfoundations has taken to filming young homeless people as they search for a safe place to sleep, putting a face to the overwhelming demand for help. 'The popularity of shows like Survivor and Alone has turned survival into entertainment,' Yfoundations chief executive John Macmillan told NewsWire. 'This series confronts the raw reality too many young Australians face every day. 'Youth homelessness is not just a statistic; it's a human tragedy.' The content series is called Young and Alone. 'We're fascinated by watching adults battle brutal conditions for fun, but survival isn't a social experiment for young people experiencing homelessness – it's a hard-hitting reality and the content series shines the light on this.' Sydneysider Natasha Ransford was saved by a 'million-to-one' chance, a youth refuge centre saving a bed while she was on school camp. Now nine years later, Ms Ransford, 25, is a youth worker at the very same refuge. 'No young person chooses to be homeless,' she told NewsWire. 'There are a lot of misconceptions that young people are just bad and that they get on drugs, or they don't want to listen to their parents, or they move out and that's why they become homeless. I want to challenge all those misconceptions.' From ages 14 to 16, Ms Ransford was bouncing between her sister and her dad's house, as her mother's 'severe' alcoholism up-ended the teenager's home life. She found a home with Project Youth in Sydney's southwest. A scholarship from Toyota helped her finish year 12 while working part time, cooking and cleaning for herself after school. 'I had to grow up very quickly and it's been beneficial for me now,' Ms Ransford said. 'I've been paying rent since I was 16, I'm good with money and budgeting. I have a really strong work ethic. 'But to put that onto a 16 year old, it wasn't fair.' In year 10, dropping out of school to go and work seemed like the best option. Ms Ransford's mental health was in poor condition, and she had learnt to use alcohol as a coping mechanism. With the help of Project Youth, support from school and health care, she now holds a Diploma of Community Services and a Certificate IV in Leadership and Management. She was never forced to sleep rough, was able to go from the refuge to transitional housing, and now rents a place with friends. Ms Ransford identifies a turning point in her life – when Project Youth held a bed so she could go on school camp. 'I was 16 … I went in one afternoon and told them basically what was going on at home. 'Surprisingly, they had a bedroom available that night, which normally is very, very rare. 'I had year 11 camp the next day. 'I asked them if they could hold the bed for me until after I got back from camp. They did, which they wouldn't be able to do now just because the need has grown so much.' The youth refuge became her home, on a Saturday after school camp. 'The chances of that happening now would be like a million-to-one,' Ms Ransford said. 'I don't think any service can afford to hold a bed for three nights for someone. 'It's unfortunately the case of if you can get it that time, then you can. First in, first serve, but I quite often think that was a turning point in my life.' Yfoundations has launched a petition calling on the federal and state governments to make ending youth homelessness a national priority, with the development of a targeted plan and funding. 'For too long, the specific and complex needs of children and young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness have been assumed to be the same as those of adults and have not been explicitly addressed in government plans to address homelessness,' the petition reads.
The Australian
3 hours ago
- The Australian
Horror moment Brisbane bus driver is attacked by passenger
Disturbing footage has captured the moment a Brisbane bus driver was brutally attacked by a passenger. Footage captured the moment a bus driver was repeatedly punched by a man on a busy bus. The video, shared to social media overnight, shows a man appearing to briefly get off the bus before going back to land a final punch. A Queensland Police spokesperson told NewsWire an incident on a bus shortly after 6pm on Friday night in Southbank was being investigated. The matter was reported to police on Saturday afternoon, the spokesperson said. Footage captures the moment a Brisbane bus driver was brutally attacked by a passenger. Picture: Luke Goldfish / Facebook. No charges have been laid over the incident. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner called the incident 'deeply disturbing' in a post to social media on Saturday afternoon. 'No one deserves to face violence in their workplace, especially from a single individual whose reckless actions endangered the safety of everyone on board,' Mr Schrinner wrote. 'My thoughts are with the bus driver who was subjected to this appalling and completely unacceptable attack while simply doing his job.' Mr Schrinner added Brisbane was a 'friendly city' where everyone deserved to feel safe. 'While we have strong safety protections for our bus drivers, we shouldn't need them which is why we continue to stand up for Brisbane against crime to keep our community safe,' he said. The video was circulated across social media over the weekend, with many labelling the conduct 'unacceptable'. 'No one helps him … feeling really bad after seeing this video,' one person commented. 'Bloody disgrace. Get in there and help him,' another said. Anyone with information or footage has been urged to contact police. Rhiannon Lewin Court Reporter Rhiannon is a Sydney-based court reporter with NewsWire. Formerly the NSW Editor at she is now on the ground covering some of the state's most high-profile criminal cases. Rhiannon Lewin
The Australian
3 hours ago
- The Australian
Police probe Melbourne woman's ‘suspicious' death
How a woman reported missing came to suffer injuries consistent with a serious assault before she died in hospital is the subject of a police probe, with her death being treated as 'suspicious'. A woman in her 60s was reported missing by her neighbour on June 14, just a week after the neighbour had seen her with an unknown man outside her Noble Park home in Melbourne's southeast. A neighbour spotted the woman talking to an unknown man outside her Marna Court home in Noble Park more than a week before she was found in hospital. Picture: Google Maps. The neighbour hadn't been able to contact her since spotting her with the man on June 7. The woman was found at Dandenong Hospital on June 16, with a Victoria Police spokesperson revealing she had injuries that appeared consistent with being seriously assaulted. Police were able to speak with the woman before she died in hospital days later on June 20. Her death is being treated as suspicious: the homicide squad have been called in to investigate. 'The exact circumstances surrounding the incident which led to her being injured are still being determined,' a Victoria Police spokesperson said. 'However detectives from the Homicide Squad are investigating and her death is being treated as suspicious.' The woman died at Dandenong Hospital on June 20. Picture: Google Maps Police have spoken to a 62-year-old Endeavour Hills man, who was known to the woman, regarding the incident, but he was released pending further inquiries. The woman's next of kin have not yet been notified of her death. Anyone with information about the circumstances leading up to the woman's death have been urged to come forward. Clareese Packer Reporter Clareese is a Court Reporter at NewsWire. She previously covered breaking news for the outlet after completing the 2023 NewsCorp cadet program, where she worked at The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, the National News Network and NewsWire. Clareese Packer
