A WHITEHILL family have been left homeless after fire ripped through their Hogmoor Road home in the early hours of Sunday.

Twenty firefighters battled for around two-and-a-half hours to put out the blaze in a mobile home at the Redhouse and Sunshine Mobile Home Parks, which police believe may have been started deliberately.

Fire crews from Bordon, Grayshott and Liphook tackled the flames, and although no-one was injured, the fire destroyed all but two bedrooms.

Bordon leading firefighter Kevin Francis told The Herald that when caravans are set alight the fire spreads very quickly.

ÒWe arrived at just after 1-32 am and the caravan was pretty much engulfed in fire. We set about putting the fire out and called for more support,Ó he said.

But Mr Francis said that the home was Òpretty muchÓ destroyed.

ÒThe back and the side were both destroyed. Two bedrooms are still intact but they are severely smoke damaged. The fire was out by around 4-15 am,Ó he said.

Mr Francis left the Hogmoor Road park at around 6-30 am after making sure that the fire was not going to start up again.

And a pump was sent back to the park at around 9-30 am Òjust to be on the safe sideÓ.

Luckily the family of five, who live in the caravan, were away on holiday in the West Country at the time of the fire so nobody was inside the caravan when it caught alight.

But the fire, described by police as ÒcatastrophicÓ, has left a mum, dad and three children, all thought to be under the age of 16, homeless.

Dc Nick Jamieson of Alton CID confirmed that police were treating the fire as suspicious.

ÒWe are not definitely sure how the fire started but we believe that it was started using some sort of accelerant, possibly petrol,Ó he said.

ÒIt was started in three places of the mobile home, which is why we believe it was deliberate.Ó

And he appealed for witnesses to the fire to contact the police immediately.

ÒThe only problem is that the caravan park is at the bottom of Hogmoor Road and there is not a great deal of through traffic,Ó he said.

ÒIt is more likely someone living in the park would have seen something.

ÒPolice did knock on doors on Sunday morning to see if anyone saw anything but we have not got any suspects so far.Ó

Dc Jamieson believes the family are now staying in temporary accommodation after cutting their holiday short to return to their ÒdestroyedÓ family home.

The blaze has left other residents of the Hogmoor Road park fearing for their safety, and six residents, who fear that the site has been targeted by vandals, have issued a plea for help to town councillors.

Concerned residents attended MondayÕs meeting of Whitehill Town Council to invite them to visit the park to see the problems for themselves.

Spokesperson for the residents, David Blake, told councillors that since new owner Michael Wenham took over the running of the park last April, things have changed - and not for the better.

And he claimed that 50 families had quit the park since last year.

ÒThe site is not safe and is at times worse than it has ever been,Ó said Mr Blake.

And he said that if, and when, town councillors decided to visit the park the residents would be happy to answer any questions that they might have.

ÒWe would then like it, if you agree, to have some feedback as to what your feelings are with regard to the homes,Ó he said.

ÒThere were 147 homes on the park last year and we have reduced that by 50 homes since last year.Ó

Town mayor Faith Thomas assured residents that the council would look into the concerns expressed and get back to them with answers.

Concerns have also been raised with MP James Arbuthnot, who wrote to EHDC leader Elizabeth Cartwright last year to ask what could be done to help residents feel Òless under threatÓ.

And following recent correspondence from the secretary of the Redhouse and Sunshine Residents Association, Sue Howard, Mr Arbuthnot has written to the minister for housing and planning, Lord Rooker, in an attempt to help the residents.

Anyone with any information about the fire should contact Alton CID on 0845 045 45 45 or the anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555111.