A MAN will be sentenced next month after being found guilty of starting a fire in a lorry trailer parked on a Suffolk industrial estate.

David Allison, 20, had denied using a lighter to ignite waste plastic in the trailer parked outside Chase Plastics on the Brandon Industrial Estate on February 20 last year but was found guilty after a trial at Ipswich Crown Court by an 11-1 majority verdict.

He denied a second offence of arson in relation to a storage area and fencing and was found not guilty.

Judge John Devaux adjourned sentence until the week beginning April 4 for a pre-sentence report and on that occasion two other defendants who admitted arson will also be sentenced.

During Allison’s trial the court heard that the fire in the lorry trailer had spread to a storage area and the total amount of damage caused was nearly �400,000.

Giving evidence, Allison, of Peppers Close, Weeting, told the court he had seen two of his friends setting light to plastic packaging in the lorry trailer but denied he had been involved.

Allison said at the time he had been on bail for setting light to some bales of straw and had not wanted to get into any further trouble.

He said he had pleaded guilty to setting light to the straw but had pleaded not guilty to the arson offences at Brandon because he did not commit them.