POLICE arrested a man on suspicion of starting fires at the Ravenglass and Eskdale railway after he admitted faking "crimes" at the site, a court has heard. 

Benjamin Taylor, 24, who worked at the tourist attraction, is on trial at Carlisle Crown Court. He denies six counts of arson in relation to fires he is alleged to have started on separate occasions in late 2012 and 2013. 

Three of those blazes broke out at the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. One caused £500,000 damage and "almost destroyed the business". 

All were initially thought to have "potentially innocent explanations". But police began to suspect foul play after Taylor was quizzed about other incidents on the railway site. 

These included burglaries and thefts that he reported. 

However, Taylor conceded he actually "staged" these incidents and had also shut down the main power supply to the railway site. 

"I thought I would do little things to try and get people to notice me I suppose," he told police. 

He admitted he "liked" the attention he got from raising the alarm having hit "rock bottom" due to family problems. 

Asked why he staged these "crimes", he responded: "I don't know. I just did it, maybe just relieving my stress. "I guess I was just getting attention that I was not getting at home." 

Following these admissions, police began to look at the fires in a new light. 

And it was then that Taylor was arrested on suspicion of arson. But when interviewed, he repeatedly claimed he was not to blame for any of the fires.

"I didn't do it. I have admitted to stuff I have done but I am not admitting to things that I haven't," stated Taylor, of Whole House Road, Seascale. "I had nothing to do with them." 

The trial continues.