Spree of arson

Six teenagers carried out a "spree" of arson attacks in north London over five days, including a fire that closed the M1 motorway, a court heard. The fire at a scrapyard in Mill Hill in April 2011 closed a stretch of the road for days and caused £4.5m damage. A "core group" of five were among 10 teenagers charged over fires in Barnet, Wood Green Crown Court heard. Three 18-year-olds, a 17-year-old and two aged 15, all deny conspiring to destroy the scrapyard by fire. Luke Matthews, of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Johno Johnson, of Tyrell Way, West Hendon, Josh Lambe, of Harcourt Avenue, Edgware, all aged 18; the 17-year-old and the two 15-year-olds, also deny intending to destroy such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be destroyed.

All 10 teenagers were accused of involvement in fires in the London borough between 12 April and 16 April. The M1 fire took place on 15 April. Prosecutor James Brown told the jury that they may not have heard about all the incidents in which the "core group" - one aged 14 at the time - were allegedly involved. He said: "The offence that took place on 15 April in the early hours of the morning is an offence which became notorious. "Notorious because, as a result of what these defendants did - setting fire to a scrapyard underneath the M1 motorway - there was an enormous conflagration of flames to such an extent that the fire spread from the initial location of the scrapyard to another that was right underneath the motorway. "It caused such an intensive fire that it actually damaged the motorway above. "As a result the motorway was closed for nearly a week."

The case continues.