A patient who set a fire in a hospital A&E has been jailed for almost seven years.

John Gillon Watson, 57, was admitted to Lincoln County Hospital last year before starting the fire in a room just off the main A&E department.

The fire led to the evacuation of the department in the early hours of March 29 and carried a massive risk of igniting oxygen piping running throughout the hospital, which would have led to huge amounts of damage.

A CT scanner was destroyed in the fire and other diagnostic equipment was damaged, meaning more than 3,300 patient appointments had to be delayed.

In total the cost of the damage reached just under £2 million.

Six crews from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue were called to tackle the blaze, which led to the hospital trust which runs the hospital declaring a major incident.

During the police investigation CCTV captured Watson, wearing a distinctive jacket with Elvis on the back, in an area engulfed by smoke before being moved by firefighters.

Nobody else was seen on CCTV in the area at the time of the fire starting, so Watson was arrested later that morning and has been in custody ever since.

Detective sergeant Dave Patten, who led the investigation, said: ‘This was one of the most serious and reckless cases of arson we have ever dealt with. The potential for harm should that fire have escalated is unthinkable.

‘The impact on the community and the hospital teams has been profound, with patients having to be diverted to other treatment centres, and clean up and repair work impacting the use of a busy emergency department.

‘This would have been very frightening for staff and patients, and I hope that the sentencing goes some way to providing some comfort that justice has been served against the individual responsible.’

Watson, of Vicarage Court in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, admitted arson with recklessness as to whether life is endangered in January of this year.

He appeared at Lincoln Crown Court where he was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison, as well as the maximum extended licence period of five years following his release.

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