As I drove into Wisbech on Saturday to visit my mother, I had to take a detour as I passed the burnt out shell of a public house. An arsonist had struck, a serial arsonist, for the fifth time in six weeks. The people of this Fen town are naturally very nervous.

The arsonist has struck twice along the Georgian North Brink which has been used many times as the backdrop for period dramas and films, and also appears on local postcodes; the latest blaze there at the weekend after the pub fire was the second in Wisbech, where I was born and bred, in three days. The National Trust’s Peckover House is a matter of feet away from the latest fire, and the NT must be very concerned about this too. An empty hotel along the Brink, and a derelict shop on the other side of the river, have also been gutted, as well as a nearby church which arsonists attacked. There are many empty shops in Wisbech and local businesses must be very anxious about being targeted next.

I have no idea what makes an arsonist tick, what kicks they get out of it. I just hope that some CCTV footage somewhere will identify the culprits. So far nobody has been harmed, but, of course, somebody could easily be killed if an occupied property is targeted. I wonder, would a reward help catch these sick villains?

*It’s unbelievable that the cathedral city of Ely close to where I live could be dubbed one of the least attractive cities for visitors. According to Travelodge, a recent survey of 5,000 people ranked it as the 8th least desirable city, along with Bradford, Wakefield and Dundee, with Sunderland topping the list.

As I strolled along Ely’s pretty riverside yesterday, I felt so lucky to have such a wonderful, unspoilt view to admire. As well as the cloistered cathedral, Stained Glass Museum, Oliver Cromwell’s House, the Fire Engine House restaurant, and the Riverside Antique Centre where my husband has a stall, two of its newer gems include Peacock’s tearoom, (pic left) once voted the best tearoom in the UK, and Topping’s excellent independent book store. We also have a Waitrose.

I’ve never known anyone not to enjoy a visit to Ely. Maybe it was the Travelodge itself that visitors took exception to.

*The body of a 38-year-old Lithuanian woman has just been found murdered in Wisbech. Its serious crime rate is soaring sky right now. What’s happened to the town?