POLICE are treating a fire in the former Ben’s Thai restaurant as suspected arson.
In the early hours of this morning, both fire crews and police were called to reports of a fire at Royal Court off Kings Road.
The building is just opposite the Huntley and Palmers block of flats, and next to the junction with Queen’s Road.
The roads were closed to allow them to safely tackle the blaze, which was on the Kennetside footpath.
A number of residents were evacuated, and one person has been treated for smoke inhalation.
Ben’s closed in 2005, and the building has been empty since, although there were attempts to reopen it as a café, and convert part of the building into three flats.
Images from the scene show a large amount of debris from what would have been the restaurant’s main entrance, with fixtures including fridge freezers, counters and storage units taken out and placed by the Kennetside towpath.
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Rich Jarvis, of Reading CID, said: “This was a significant incident, which thankfully has not resulted in anybody being injured.
“However, there were people inside the property, this could have had a far worse outcome had it not been for their swift actions to get out of the building.”
Thames Valley Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
“At this early stage of the investigation, we are still waiting to ascertain the cause of the fire, however I am appealing to anybody who witnessed any suspicious activity in the early hours of yesterday morning in the vicinity of Kings Road to please get in touch with police,” DCI Jarvis said.
“I would be particularly keen to hear from anybody who has CCTV or dash-cam footage from near the location to please check this and contact us if it has captured anything that can assist the investigation.
“You can do so by making a report online or by calling us on 101, quoting reference number 43220066826.
“Alternatively, for 100% anonymity, you can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
