THE chairman of a rugby club hit by two suspected arson attacks in two weeks says "we will rebuild".
Police have launched a fresh witness appeal following what appears to be a second arson attack on Old Reigatian RFC's club house on Saturday.
Chairman of the club's executive committee David Forsyth told the Mirror this week: "The message is that the show goes on, it's not going to stop us from being active.
"Even this weekend we had two parties taking place and both took place not withstanding the damage. We had a marquee, they were terrific.
"Absolutely nothing is going to stand in our way, least of all an arsonist, and the message is the show goes on, we will rebuild."
Mr Forsyth added that the Park Lane club had been overwhelmed by support since Saturday's incident.
"Everyone's pulling together," he said. "The number of offers we have had from inside the club and outside has been amazing. An individual company has lent us a generator and containers. We have had people coming and lending us lights."
According to firefighters at the scene – who were called at about 4.40am on Saturday after overnight security members at nearby Reigate Priory Cricket Club spotted the blaze – the latest incident has damaged about 25 per cent of the club's roof,
Mr Forsyth said the fires had affected the number of working hours available to their part-time workers, including bar and gym staff.
He also said both Old Reigatian and surrounding sports clubs had now arranged for overnight security.
Saturday's blaze is the latest in a string of suspicious fires at local sports clubs in the past three weeks.
The rugby club was the target of a previous arson attack on June 28.
Other fires have taken place at Horley Lawn Tennis Club in Vicarage Lane on June 22; Churchfields Bowls Club in Church Walk, Reigate on June 26; and a property in Massetts Road, Horley, on July 2. Mr Forsyth believes this latest attack is linked to the previous fire at the club.
"I would be flabbergasted if it was not arson," he said. "On the last occasion a fire had been started in the south corner and on this occasion it was the north west corner.
"There is no rhyme or reason that the fire should start outside the building by chance."
A statement on the club's website described the perpetrator as a "coward".
