Three members of the volunteer fire brigade in the Limburg village of Onderbanken have been arrested for arson, local broadcaster L1 said on Friday.

Two were picked up on Saturday and a third on Monday. They are all under suspicion of setting several fires but it is not clear how many.

Mayor Mirjam Clermonts says she still has full confidence in the local fire brigade. ‘I have deep respect for the volunteers who watch over our safety,’ she said after a meeting with the rest of the brigade on Thursday evening.

Last year, a volunteer fireman was jailed for 11 years for setting a string of fires in and around the smart commuter town of Laren over a three year period.