Man jailed after starting a fire in council building
Matthew Howson, 33, poured a can of lighter fluid on the lobby floor and lit it with a match
Last updated 21st Aug 2026
A knife-carrying man has been jailed after he walked into a busy council building and started a fire.
Cambridgeshire Police were called to Huntingdonshire District Council’s offices at Pathfinder House on 14 April after Matthew Howson, 33, poured a can of lighter fluid on the lobby floor and lit it with a match.
Howson then produced a Stanley knife from his pocket, before walking out the building, leaving a member of the public to distinguish the fire.
Shortly afterwards, police were called to the former Fire Station in Huntingdon, after receiving a report that a man was refusing to leave the premises.
Officers recognised Howson as being responsible for the earlier incident, and arrested him after finding the Stanley knife and matches in his pocket. A bottle of lighter fluid was also found nearby.
At Peterborough Crown Court on Wednesday (19 August), Howson, of Grosvenor Yard, Newmarket, was jailed for one year and ten months after admitting to arson, possessing a knife in a public place, and breaching a stalking protection order.
The final charge relates to Howson failing to notify police about a change of address, thereby breaching a Stalking Protection Order made by Huntingdon Magistrates Court in September 2025.
DC Emily South, who investigated, said: “Howson's actions were extremely reckless and could have had serious consequences.
“He deliberately started the fire inside a busy public building, putting members of the public and staff at risk. Thankfully, the fire was quickly extinguished, and nobody was injured.
“This sentence reflects the danger his actions posed and how serious we treat this type of offending."