An investigation has been launched following a fire in Pembroke Dock.

Mindless vandals destroyed a boat at Pembroke Dock’s West Wales Marine Heritage Society (WWMHS) by setting it alight on Saturday night, and could have easily created a much larger blaze, the owner has said.

Two firefighter crews from Pembroke Dock and police were called to the Front Street fire on Saturday night, January 21, arriving at 10.21 pm.

The crews doused the fire on the boat, a 19-foot Boston whaler with two Honda outboards, which was totally destroyed.

The boat, which belongs to the Maritime Volunteer Service, was left at the former Hancock’s shipyard, with plans to dispose of it.

Police were also in attendance, and are appealing for anyone with information about the fire to contact them on the non-emergency 101 phone number.

Chris Williams, of the Maritime Volunteer Service, said: “As it happens, it isn’t worth a lot, it was out of the water and up for disposal; luckily because of that there wasn’t any fuel in it. This boat had been there for a few weeks.

“It burned for a short while very intensely; I can’t understand what they set fire to, to make it go like it did.

“About the only thing left that’s usable is the propellers.”

Chris said the situation could have been so much worse, as a second Maritime Volunteer Service boat, containing fuel, was just 20 yards away.

“There was a second vehicle there with 40 litres of fuel; had they set fire to that one, which was against the building, it could have been a lot worse.”

He added: “I’m disappointed that somebody could be so mindless.”

WWMHS secretary David James said: “On Sunday morning we saw how they got in; unfortunately, the shape of the site is such it’s not difficult for people on the Western Way car park to walk round when the tide is out.

“They found a way in and kicked-in the door of a shed and found nothing.

“The great thing fortunately is nobody was hurt, the fire was confined to this boat. It could have been a lot worse, it could have taken one of the sheds up; worse things happen at sea.

“We’ve beefed up the security system, so it’s far more difficult to get in.”