'Heartbreak' after fire set next to memorial for Olivia Pratt-Korbel (2025)

A fire set near a memorial tree for murdered schoolgirlOliviaPratt-Korbel has caused extensive damage.

The blaze took place on land which sits between Finch Lane and Finch Road, nearOlivia’s family home in Dovecot, Liverpool.

Nine-year-oldOliviawas shot dead in her own home on Kingsheath Avenue by Thomas Cashman, who was attempting to ambush fellow criminal Joseph Nee.

Nee tried to escape by forcing his way into the house during the attack on August 22, 2022, before he shot blindly through the front door with a revolver, woundingOlivia’s mum, Cheryl and hitting nine-year-oldOliviain the chest. Cashman was jailed for a minimum of 42 years.

The organisers behindOlivia’s Butterfly Foundation, the charity set up in her memory, said equipment belonging to local civil engineering and highways infrastructure company HA Civils was set alight.

The materials were set to be used as part of their work with the foundation to transform the land for children in the area.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service confirmed a large quantity of plastic barriers was set alight on Monday.

A video shared by the charity on their Facebook page showed the equipment covered in black soot, with much of it melted.

The burned remains are just metres away fromOlivia’s memorial tree.

Writing on their Facebook page, organisers ofOlivia’s Butterfly Foundation said: ‘Not a post we thought we would ever find ourselves posting. Unfortunately, this is the aftermath of CHILDREN playing with fire on the Finch Lane land whereOlivia’s memorial tree sits.

‘This equipment belongs to HA Civils, a local company who, out of the kindness of their own hearts, are actually helping us develop that land which will in turn benefit the local children and our community.

‘We are extremely disappointed, and it breaks our hearts to see a local firm lose out on so much financially, and our land destroyed. This sets us back with our plan, but somehow doesn’t put us off, we will come back from this and continue with our plans to create a better space for the area.’

The foundation added that they hoped fire safety would be better taught to children, and said the matter is being dealt with by authorities.

They added: ‘The children who did it will face the repercussions and will hopefully realise that what they did was wrong.

‘Thank you so much for everyone’s messages of support, as we always have and always will, we will come back from this.’

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