THE serial firebug who waged war against the village he grew to hate was jailed for a total of nine years at the Old Bailey.

Steven Hooker, the self-styled Beacon Hill Arsonist, launched a three-year reign of terror after he was excluded from Woolmer Hill School for cannabis possession.

Judge John Rogers, QC, told Hooker: "I feel somewhat distressed to sentence a 19 year old for offences which put you into the category of a serial arsonist.

"Not only was a store destroyed, it is fortunate five occupants of apartments upstairs were able to get out without suffering any harm."

Hooker was convicted by a jury of four charges of simple arson, one of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, and one of threatening to damage property. He had earlier admitted setting fire to a Citroën.

The sentencing last Friday marked the end of a three-year operation, with Haslemere police vowing never to give up on their investigations.

Detective Sergeant Nigel McGoldrick, who had been involved in the case as part of the 10-man team of officers from the Waverley Police division, including Haslemere, thanked the residents of Beacon Hills and the many people and other agencies involved in their investigations.

"It was just a matter of time before we caught up with him," said Ds McGoldrick.

"The judge's sentence reflects the seriousness of the offences and the real threat to life by his actions," said Ds McGoldrick.

"As well as the hundreds and thousands of pounds of property that was destroyed, there was the devastating effect that it had on his numerous victims."

"We were aware too of the strength of local concern that was felt by Beacon Hill residents.

"But by the nature of undercover action we were taking at that time, we weren't always able to let the public know exactly what action we were taking," continued Ds McGoldrick.

During the process of the investigation he said: "More than 130 witnesses were seen and statements taken, many of which were based on forming a background profile of Hooker.

"We are grateful for the fact that so many people were willing to come forward and help us, and to give evidence when the case came to court."

Hooker's campaign finally came to an end last year just minutes after he dialled 999 from a telephone kiosk and bragged: "I'm the Beacon Hill Arsonist and I'm going to kill tonight."

Ds McGoldrick said that police officers from Haslemere had begun their investigations into a series of arson to property, including cars, and a telephone kiosk in Beacon Hill over a period of several months in 1999.

"They also re-investigated a fire at Woolmer Hill School some two years earlier, when, deliberately lit, it damaged the science block at the school," he said.

Equiries led them to suspect Steven Hooker then 18, who was expelled from the school and either knew to or had links with many of the victims.

Police suspicions were raised when on April 26, 2000, Hooker was seen in the early hours of the morning crouched by a burning car near a park in Beacon Hill.

"He claimed he'd simply been walking past the car when it exploded," said Ds McGoldrick.

Forensic tests revealed that a baton found in his possession when he was later arrested had traces of glass from the attacked car, suggesting it was he who smashed the car window before setting fire to it.

With the help of the Fire Brigade and scene-of-crime officers, the net was slowlyclosing in on the arsonist.

The incidents escalated with an attack on convenience store JayCee's on May 16.

The fire was caused when a yachting-type flare was thrown through the letter box, ignited and destroyed the entire shop area.

"Worryingly, the fire endangered the lives of a woman and her six-year-old child who lived in a flat above the shop," said Ds McGoldrick. Police ahd been alerted when the shop's alarm wires fused and activated the burglar alarm.

A few days later, a man calling himself the Beacon Hill arsonist made a 999 call to the fire brigade and delivered his chilling message: "Tonight I am going to kill, I am going to burn people out above the shops."

An analysis of the caller's voice led police to Hooker and he was arrested. Four months later he was brought to court.

The arson attacks stopped immediately.