A man has received a four-year jail sentence following a series of fires at DIY stores over the bank holiday weekend in early May in which one store was destroyed.

Benny Joe Dighton, 28, from Chatham, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of arson with intent to endanger life and one count of attempted arson with intent to endanger life at two B&Q stores and a Homebase store in Kent. He was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on 27 August.

On Saturday 1 May, around 90 firefighters spent nearly two days tackling a blaze which started at around 12.45 pm and destroyed the Homebase store in Aylesford.

Just over an hour later, staff at the B&Q store in Larkfield, two miles away, safely extinguished a fire which had been caused by setting alight packaging in the lighting section.

Then on Monday 3 May, staff at B&Q in Maidstone discovered timber which had been covered with methylated spirits but not yet set light to.

One of the incident commanders at the Homebase fire, group manager John Robertson of Kent Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Anyone who was there can vouch for the fact that this was a ferocious fire which demanded the use of crews and equipment from all over the county for a prolonged period. This incident had the potential to be a real risk to life as well as property. However, thanks to the Homebase staff who quickly and efficiently evacuated the building, no one was hurt and, due to the skill and tireless efforts of those fighting the fire, damage was mostly limited to the store itself.”

Detective inspector Ian Rogerson, who led the investigation added: “This was one of the busiest weekends of the year for home improvement shopping so it is a miracle that no-one was seriously injured or killed in these arsons. The damage that did occur – plus the disruption to shoppers and the stores themselves – was significant, so I am pleased that the courts have recognised the danger Dighton presents to the public.”