AN arsonist put lives and property at risk after trying to burn down Holland & Barrett health food store in York city centre.

Firefighters from York were called at 1.50am yesterday to the back of the health food store in Coney Street.

A arsonist had pushed a bin against the back door and set it alight.

Luckily, the blaze was extinguished before it spread, but it damaged the electrics of the shop and caused smoke damage inside the store.

Yesterday, the shop remained closed with a sign on the door telling people it was shut as it had no electricity following the fire.

Alan Bell, of York Fire Station, said it could have been a lot more serious and the fire was being treated as suspicious.

Mr Bell said: “Anyone who does something like that has the potential to cause serious damage and put people’s lives at risk.” Mr Bell said had the fire taken hold, it was possible it could have spread to other buildings, although this would have depended on the nature of the building.

He said: “We’re treating it as a serious incident even though the damage itself may not have been severe.

“Reckless acts of this nature can cause far more damage than people imagine.”

Holland and Barrett did not respond to calls from The Press.