SHOPKEEPERS in Wey Hill have demanded urgent police action to stamp out a spate of arson attacks.

Six people living in flats above shops were evacuated from their homes on Friday night following the latest suspicious fire which destroyed a shed and its contents, at the rear of a cafe.

Last week's attack brings the number of fires to more than 10 in the past 18 months. Most are thought to be arson and tens of thousands of pounds of property has been damaged.

The latest fire, believed to have been started deliberately, happened between 11-30 pm and midnight on Friday of last week at the rear of 74's Cafe, alongside a public alleyway in Wey Hill.

John Ellis, who owns a fruit and vegetable wholesalers which backs on to the scene of the latest incident, described the latest attack as "horrendous".

The £7,000 cold store, targeted a year ago when £18,000 worth of damage was caused, was again extensively damaged and other goods spoiled by smoke.

People evacuated were not allowed back into their homes for more than an hour and a half while Haslemere fire crews fought the blaze. It quickly spread from one outbuilding, causing extensive damage to another three.

The shed belonging to the cafe, containing a freezer and food, was destroyed.

"We want to know what the police can do before somebody gets killed and we want more of a police presence in the town," demanded Mr Ellis.

"This fire happened on Friday and nobody has been been round to interview me. The only contact I had was when I phoned, somebody took my name and address," Mr Ellis said on Wednesday. He added: "The only response I got on Tuesday from a call centre is that the police would try to get someone out to see me."

He branded the police response as "pathetic" saying: "People's lives are at risk and I am very concerned that someone will die because of such poor response."

The owners of 74's Cafe, Chris and Ruth Siu, said they were "shocked" by the damage.

"I am not very happy with the police. Every time something like this happens we just get put through to a call centre and then nothing."

"This has cost us around £3,000 and a lot of inconvenience."

Police are connecting the latest fire with an incident when a wheelie bin was set alight close to a toilet block at the top of Wey Hill in April. It caused £5,000 worth of damage to the toilets but at the time, police weren't connecting it with other fires. Another suspicious fire was at a shed at the Crown and Cushion public house.

In February, at 74's Cafe cardboard boxes were pushed through a window and set alight damaging a toilet. Just days before, a letter was set alight and put into the post box outside Kelway Law estate agents.

In January, petrol was poured through the letterbox of an unoccupied flat in Wey Hill, and ignited. Last year a rubbish container outside the Coop Funeral Directors ws set alight along with two others in Wey Hill car park.

A police spokesman said: "We have had a problem for the past six months and it is something we are treating very seriously, especially in the vicinity of a residential area. We have stepped up patrols in Wey Hill."

The spokesman said: "A lot of resources" were being used but the police were not linking all the the fires.

Officers are hoping CCTV footage will help them with their inquiries and anyone with any information should to phone them on 0845 125 2222.

• South West Surrey Conservatives said this week that "new figures expose growing arson and abandoned car problem in Haslemere and across Surrey".

Conservative spokesman Jeremy Hunt said new government figures show the problems of arson and abandoned cars were getting worse.

"Official statistics show that since 1997, the number of cases of arson have soared by 64 per cent across Surrey.

"Arson has soared by 64 per cent since 1997, in the face of Labour's pledge to cut it by a third. Conservatives believe the whole problem of crime across Surrey must be addressed."