A woman has been arrested after an arson attack at Ashton Market's outdoor stalls.
Emergency services were called out to reports of a fire at the Tameside market on the evening of Monday, September 6.
The fire involved a bundle of newspapers which were due for collection, at a stall off Warrington Street, near Ladysmith Shopping Centre.
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Greater Manchester Police arrested a woman this morning (September 20) in connection with the incident.
She has since been bailed pending further enquiries, and has been banned from Ashton-under-Lyne town centre as part of her bail conditions.
The Manchester Evening News understands a group of youths had been gathering at the outdoor market stalls in Ashton town centre at the time of the fire.
It is not believed the woman was acting alone.
In a post on Twitter, a spokesperson for GMP Tameside North and East said: "Following an arson on Monday, September 6, 2021, whereby six market stalls were set alight within Ashton town centre, a female adult was arrested by the town centre team this morning.
"Female bailed pending further enquiries with conditions not to enter Ashton town centre."
Images from the scene on the night show charred newspapers and ash left on a market stall and on the ground at Ashton Market.
Janice Gladrey, a cleaner at Tameside Council, which runs the market, said she discovered the damage at around 7.50pm.
She said she couldn't understand the 'mentality of people who haven’t got a care in the world' for the people who work hard on the stalls and those who work 'to keep our market up to standard'.
Janice added: "It's so heart-breaking to see what going on.
"I've never seen anything like this, it’s so unfair and disgraceful."
