Fire destroys home and £2m of antiques

From the Echo, first published Saturday 18th Oct 2003.

CONTROVERSIAL Peter Hamilton-Harvey spoke on Friday about how he and his family escaped the inferno that tore through their mansion.

The three-storey house, which was built in the turn of the century, was gutted within minutes.

Both Mr Hamilton-Harvey, his brother Roy and his elderly parents Michael and Sheila were rescued from the blazing building in St Anthony's Road just after 10pm.

Police believe the fire was started maliciously.

Mr Hamilton-Harvey senior, 76, is said to be in a critical condition in intensive care at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital. Mrs Hamilton-Harvey, aged in her 70s, and Roy Hamilton-Harvey were both taken to Poole Hospital for treatment.

Mr Hamilton-Harvey, 44, claimed £2 million of antiques and other property went up in smoke during the incident, but that the goods were insured.

Speaking from the scene he said: "I was in the house when I found the fire. We have 12 main bedrooms on the second floor and I was up in the attic room when I heard the smoke alarms. I ran down the stairs and saw smoke coming from the first floor bedrooms and saw that the fire had engulfed the whole of the ground floor.

"I rushed through the old servants area and phoned the fire brigade."

Mr Hamilton-Harvey added: "I came out through the conservatory and was shouting out for my parents who were in the old chapel. My mother came out onto the balcony and my father ran over to his bedroom window and started shouting. While he was in the bedroom the fire started coming through the floor behind him. My concern was for both of them and I wanted to get a ladder up there as quickly as possible. I wanted to rescue my father first as the fire was just behind him."

He added: "The fire brigade arrived very, very quickly and they got my father, my mother and my brother out. I saw them all in the ambulances before they were taken to hospital."

In 1993 Winchester Crown Court heard of Peter Hamilton-Harvey's sex romps with naked nine-year-old boys staying in a tent in his garden.

He was convicted of indecent assault and sentenced to 12 months in jail. Five years later the Daily Echo revealed that Mr Hamilton-Harvey was offering 36 rooms at his rundown mansion as lodgings for the vulnerable and homeless.

At the time he said he was accommodating seven people in the home - three of whom he admitted were aged between 14 and 16.

It was reported that his aim was to provide a "half-way house" and counselling service for young people.

He called the organisation Bournemouth Community Care Trust and himself a youth and community project worker and even had a helpline phone service installed in his home. Mr Hamilton-Harvey's actions were heavily criticised by children's charities.

On Friday morning police were still unsure whether anyone was still in the smouldering building but following a full search by fire crews and updated information it was announced that everyone had been accounted for.

Fire and police officers stayed at the scene for most of the day to keep a cordon around the area, which was deemed the scene of a major crime. Scenes of crime officers were also on hand to try to establish how and where the fire started.

Anyone who saw the fire being started or any suspicious activity is asked to call Bournemouth CID on 01202 222500 or Crime- stoppers on 0800 555111.

A 31-year-old man was last night assisting police with their enquiries.