THE person who pulled a burning picnic bench away from the pavilion in King George V Playing Fields last month has been thanked by Melksham Town Council.
Originally reported to be a boy by local police after the fire on Sunday 30th May, the hero of the hour has now been identified as local man, Verincianu Ovidiu.
Melksham Town Council’s clerk, Linda Roberts, met with Verincianu earlier this week to thank him and reward him with a gift voucher.
A spokesperson for the town council said, “Verincianu bravely got hold of the blazing picnic table and dragged it away from the building, preventing what could have been catastrophic damage.
“He explained that he was just doing what anyone would do, but we don’t agree. It takes a certain sort of person to launch into a dangerous situation like that without a second thought. On behalf of us all at Melksham Town Council and the community at large, thank you again, sir! We salute you.
Verincianu was presented with a thank you card and a gift certificate, the cost of which was shared by the owners of the new Cricketer’s Café.
The fire forced the closure of the splashpad during the half term school holiday, upsetting families. Police arrested a 13-year-old local boy on suspicion of arson the next day, who was later released on bail. The police investigation is still ongoing.